“The UK government has paid compensation to 16 men who were detained by US forces at Guantanamo Bay. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke said the settlement was confidential–but necessary to avoid a legal battle which could have cost up to £50m. The men, 12 of whom had launched damages claims, allege that London knew or was complicit in their treatment in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The heads of both MI5 [UK’s counter-intelligence and security agency] and MI6 [UK’s Secret Intelligence Service], who were being sued, welcomed the settlement. The coalition government made clear in the summer that it wanted to avoid a massive court case which would also have put the British secret intelligence services under the spotlight.”
– “Compensation to Guantanamo Detainees ‘was necessary,'” BBC News, Nov. 16, 2010