Ah, how wonderful of the CIA to do their business away from the U.S., too inconvenient to do on its own soil. Those pesky laws and civil rights are just too much to handle?
Report Gives Details on CIA Prisons – WashingtonPost.com: The CIA exploited NATO military agreements to help it run secret prisons in Poland and Romania where alleged terrorists were held in solitary confinement for months, shackled and subjected to other mental and physical torture, according to a European investigative report released here Friday.
Some of the United States’ highest-profile terrorism suspects, including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, considered the prime organizer of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, were detained and interrogated at the facility in Poland, according to the 72-page report completed for the Council of Europe, the continent’s human rights agency.
“The CIA’s counter-terror operations have been lawful, effective, closely reviewed, and of benefit to many people — including Europeans — by disrupting plots and saving lives,” CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said. “Our counter-terror partnerships in Europe are very strong.” He described the report as “biased and distorted.”
Biased and distorted? Then why are the interrogations, secret tribunals and detention facilities placed outside of U.S. soil?
In the report, Marty expressed deep disapproval of U.S. practices with the prisoners. “We must banish forever the Bush Administration mindset that effectively says, ‘if it is illegal for us to use such a practice at home or on our own citizens, let us export or outsource it so we will not be held to account for it,’ ” the report concluded.
The left wing in its focus seems to forget all about the sept 11 attacks- that there were extensively planned , mutiple attacks where many innocent people died – and were real .
So much for ward churchill
9/11 was staged by the people who brought you the conquest of the mid-east oil agenda, where a nice war makes tons of money for their companies. That said, pulling the fingernails slowly from a terrorist is far kinder than cutting off their heads with a paring knife. This crap occurs because of right wing nuts supporting the actions of a manic they elected to save their fetuses but slaughter their children..
Bush was quoted as saying.
“…I d’not condone outsercing of torture to Poland or any udder city. If we did, it’s fine by me to terrigate d’enemy in private to find where their friend are. Heh heh, don’t ya understand we are at war? I war, anything goes and we got to fight’em over dare instead of over here. That’s what the merican people want. I serve the da’merican people…”
Fools who support breaking the law for their political ends get what they deserve. Continuing to oppress your enemies with torture and kidnapping and assassination – means the whole populace in this year’s “enemy” nations gets exactly the message you deserve. Imperial nations act like imperial thugs.
Americans have supported that ideology, reinforced those conclusions, for decades. What’s new.
“…shackled and other forms of torture…” This raises questions about the credibility of the report to me. Shackling is not torture. It is done in every jail in every county of the US every day, when they transport criminals to court for instance. By raising the torture issue without specifying what was torture or how the information was derived, it makes me ask, “what other important information has been distorted or left out?”
And, since the CIA is not supposed to operate in the USA, I guess their facilities pretty much have to be elsewhere. They might be trying to hide something. But it can’t be presumed, just because these centers were elsewhere. Is the author of the article suggesting that Poles and Romanians are such sub-human brutes that we placed these prisons there because we knew they wouldn’t care what we did?
It seems to me that people who oppose this war are willing to say, or agree with, any kind of nonsense. I know many people who support the war who have grave doubts about various aspects of it, whose doubts are based on reflection and information, and who do not hesitate to speak their mind. I am sure there are similar people in the opposition side. But my, the loonies on both sides are a lot more evident. I wonder why that is?
#5
As a Canadian I ask you not to insult our dollar coin the “loonie” by comparing it in any way shape or form to US government agencies and or their detractors.
(snicker)
No surprise for someone who follows the news. It have been known for years now.
#7 – Agreed. This is a non-story.
The real question is if a new administration, regardless of political stripe or national leanings, can change the course that’s been set out.
It’s more than a non-story, James, because it provides new issues in a couple ways. More important, for civilians outside the range of research, reading and discussion that happens in blogs like this – is the question of politicians and hypocrisy.
Our Fearless Leaders are the first in line to demand the right to extradite someone wanted for trial or sentencing. Doesn’t especially matter if the issue is political or “ordinary” criminals. Yet, here we face a nation we consider an ally in the so-called War on Terror – and pointblank refuse to cooperate with their request for extradition.
And why? Because the politics of the thugs in question is more important than above-board dealings between nations. Even when they violate our own laws. Even in a case like this one – where the judges know damned well they’re going to encounter and challenge the complicity of their own government.
#5.
You should have no doubt that during Soviet times, they had secret services which did all of those things and more to enemies of the State (ask any Romanian about Securitate). Also have no doubt that many, if not most, Eastern European detention centers are truly terrible places.
That doesn’t mean that Poles and Romanians support or condone brutality, but many who ran those brutal organizations are in positions of power and would have no problem working with the US against its enemies.
If this report is true, the tragedy here is simply that George is taking advantage of Soviet structures & approaches to treatment of enemies and further damaging the institutions we’re supposed to help fix.
Does anyone really believe this only started with the current President? Or maybe it just escalated and was done more clumsily thus allowing exposure.
#8 – The real question is if a new administration, regardless of political stripe or national leanings, can change the course that’s been set out.
Someone should ask the presidential candidates if they intend to stop this or let it continue in the name of anti-terrorism.
#10, got it right.
USA is not smart enough to be the America it once was.
It now believes in “Soviet structures & approaches to treatment of enemies”. Yea, the same stuff that made the Soviet so successful in Afghanistan and so successful as a state.
Why would idiots continue to believe in using what never has worked, and is still not working?? Is it some kind of power trip these supporters are having?? IT CERTAINLY ISN’T BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT THE WAR ON TERROR!! So many better choices that have worked in the past WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE IF IT WAS IN SUPPORT OF A WAR ON TERROR!!!
What exactly drives these right wing maniacs in this frenzied support of unnecessary slaughter?????
#5 and his war supporting “loonies num nuts” ilk, are as “Desiderius Erasmus” described, “War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.”
“Praise of Folly” should be required reading in US high schools, maybe Americans could gain back their common sense they threw far far away with electing BUSH twice as US President.
#13, Comment by noname: Why would idiots continue to believe in using what never has worked, and is still not working??
Money.
12. Jaegermeister- excellent point. Except when Romney was asked what he didnt like America, wasnt his answer something like “well golly, I like everything about America”, or something inane like that. So I wouldnt expect an honest or intelligent answer.
Hey #6, I don’t blame you. I have 10x more money invested in Canada than in the U.S. at the moment, and those investments have done great.
The typical U.S. moron thinks we really have 2% inflation. The government brags about giving us a 4% tax cut but devalues are currency by 40% while you guys provide universal health care and balance your budget. Just you wait, by 2009, it will take two U.S. dollars to buy one Canadian one.
Any chance we could could change government leaders? We’ll give you Montana. We really don’t want it anyway.