David Cameron wants to cut the number of Britons sent for trial to the United States, he told President Obama yesterday as they agreed to review the workings of the controversial extradition treaty.
The Prime Minister said that he wanted British courts to try more of the cases that now lead to citizens such as the Kent businessman Christopher Tappin being sent for trial to the US.
Officials from the Home Office and the US Justice Department will begin a detailed examination of the 2003 treaty that was struck after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The move comes despite an independent review conducted for the Government which concluded that the treaty was not biased against the UK.
Mr Cameron said: “I raised this issue with President Obama today and we had a good discussion. We will be following this up with further talks between our teams. “We have carried out an independent review of the treaty which found that it was balanced but I recognise that there are concerns about how it is implemented in practice and that’s what our teams will look at.”
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The Prime Minister was speaking during a two-day visit to Washington in which:
• Oval Office talks were interrupted with news of an apparent attempt on the life of Leon Panetta, the US Defence Secretary, in Afghanistan.
• Mr Obama warned Iran that the diplomatic window for averting a nuclear showdown was shrinking.
• The leaders paved the way for a sharp drawdown of troops from Afghanistan in the first half of next year.
The talks were dominated by Afghanistan, Iran and Syria, but Mr Cameron took time to express concern with the working of the extradition treaty. The agreement stopped short of a full review of the treaty, but officials will look at the way it is working in practice.
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It is understood that Mr Cameron highlighted cases such as those of Mr Tappin and Richard O’Dwyer, 23, who is being sent for trial in America on charges of internet piracy. MPs argue that the treaty was meant to deal with terror suspects but in practice catches many more alleged offenders, such as the computer hacker Gary McKinnon.
But American officials argue that it is proving unsatisfactory because they cannot extradite terror suspects from Britain because they are protected by human rights laws.
Elaine Tappin, whose husband, Chris, 65, a retired businessman, was extradited to America three weeks ago, said: “I welcome David Cameron’s concern over the UK’s extradition arrangements. This comes too late for Chris but may at least serve to prevent others facing a similar ordeal.
“Our Government already knows what amendments are necessary. Time for less talk and more action, hopefully in the form of an Extradition Amendment Bill in the Queen’s Speech in May.”
Both leaders gave themselves room to announce a large drawdown of troops in the first half of 2013, before Afghan security forces take the lead in combat operations half way through the year. Amid fears that coalition forces would leave behind worrying levels of violence and intimidation from the extremists, Mr Cameron said that the aim was not to make Afghanistan a perfect democracy.
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Mr Obama reserved his toughest words for Iran. Although neither he nor Mr Cameron has any appetite for a military strike aimed at halting Iran’s technology before it acquires an atomic bomb, the President told Tehran to take seriously talks due to start next month.
“In the past, there has been a tendency for Iran in these negotiations to delay, to stall, to do a lot of talking but not actually move the ball forward,” he said. “The window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking.”
On Syria, Mr Cameron warned President Assad that he faced the possibility of a war crimes trial unless he stepped aside. International law “has a long reach and a long memory on human rights violations”, he said.
Mr Obama paid a deeply personal tribute to Mr and Mrs Cameron at last night’s state dinner, suggesting that the Anglo-American special relationship was benefiting from the fortitude they had shown bringing up their disabled son Ivan.
Mr Obama said: “I will say something else David: all of us have seen how you as a parent along with Samantha have shown a measure of strength that few of us will ever know. Tonight I thank you for bringing that same strength and solidarity to our partnership.”
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He added of the Prime Minister: “He says what he does and he does what he says”.
Mr Cameron said he felt the special relationship in his bones.
In his own tribute to his host he said Mr Obama has “pressed the reset button” on moral authority in the world.