Foreign Agents 'free to Hunt' in Europe

Europe has turned into a "happy hunting ground" for foreign security services, its human rights watchdog warned yesterday in a report into allegations about secret CIA "extraordinary renditions" of terrorist suspects.

"It would appear that most of Europe is a happy hunting ground for foreign security services," said Terry Davis, the secretary-general of the 46-country Council of Europe. "Europe's skies [also] appear to be excessively open. Very few countries seem to have adopted an adequate and effective way to monitor who and what is transiting through their airports and airspace."

Mr Davis made his comments as he published the responses of the council's members to a questionnaire about allegations that the CIA had carried out extraordinary renditions of terrorist suspects in Europe. Human rights groups claim the American intelligence agency snatched suspects in Europe and flew them to secret detention centres on the continent and beyond.

No new evidence about the renditions has emerged from the answers. But Mr Davis said the responses raised three concerns: failure to supervise foreign security agents, failure to police Europe's skies and immunity offered to foreign agents.

Foreign security services appear to be free to roam the continent, he warned, accusing three countries - Italy, Macedonia and Bosnia - of failing to provide adequate answers about abductions and alleged rendition flights from their territories. He also took a swipe at Poland, which faced allegations in a council report in January about a secret CIA detention centre on its soil. "The reply received from Poland ... is disappointing," he said.