"Just because the British government - or any government - says something is the case that doesn't mean it is the case."

And I would reckon going on past record that more often than not when the British Government says something is the case, it usually turns out that what they state is the case.

The Court of Appeal has had a case put before it by an appellant and has instructed the British Government to do something that is beyond its power. There have been many well documented cases where the Law has proved itself to be an Ass.

1: The British Government would have known nothing about the actionable intelligence that led to this man's capture. I do not believe that at anytime between May 2003 and 15th December 2011 that US CENCOM sought the clearance of the British Government prior to undertaking any operation in Central or Western Iraq.

2: The British Government would have known nothing about the actual operation. On a day to day basis I would doubt very much if the British military authorities down in Basra would have been aware of it.

3: The British Military Authorities in Iraq in February 2004 at no time had this man in THEIR custody, a unit (possibly 8 men) of the British Army assigned to the operate in conjunction with US Forces under operational control of the US Command, took part in the operation, we do not know if they were accompanied by US Delta Force personnel or by Iraqi Police/Army.

4: The man was captured in February and transferred to Bagram in Afghanistan in March between the time he was captured and the time he was transferred the man was in US Custody. Reading Reprieve's version as "reported" in UK Press it was the British who transferred him to Bagram.

Reprieve in the UK and their partner organisation over in Pakistan are fishing. Still far, far too much about this is completely unknown for us to start draging out the ashes and sackcloth.