US 'interrogated terror suspects on UK territory'

David Miliband is facing new claims that the US imprisoned and interrogated terrorist suspects on British territory.

The legal-action charity Reprieve said the Foreign Secretary was "duped by the US on a colossal scale", following allegations of interrogation on Diego Garcia, a UK-controlled island in the Indian Ocean.

A former senior US official told Time magazine that, in 2002 and possibly 2003, the US interrogated at least one suspect on the island. The UK leases it to the US as an air and naval base.

Mr Miliband has repeatedly denied claims the US has detained terror suspects on British territory. But the anonymous source, described as a frequent participant in White House Situation Room meetings, told Time that a CIA counter-terrorism official twice said "high-value prisoners" had been held and questioned on the UK territory.

In February, the US administration admitted that, contrary to previous assurances, two CIA "rendition" flights carrying terrorist suspects seized abroad had landed on Diego Garcia in 2002. Last month Mr Miliband said the US had pledged no more US intelligence flights had since landed on UK territory.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that if anyone could provide "definitive evidence of rendition ... then we will raise it with the US authorities."