Report details CIA prisons in Europe

[kuzadd]

Oh, yeah and this isn't about iran, okay?

Nope it isn't Iran torturing, or denying human rights, it's the US, along with it cohorts in crime, all western democracies, allegedly.

http://www.huliq.com/24179/report-details-...isons-in-europe

The report is the most detailed description of a secret program initiated by the US government, with the collaboration of Europe. In addition to Poland and Romania, many European and other powers have taken part in the program, including Germany, Italy, Britain and Canada.The report was prepared by Dick Marty, a rapporteur for the council, which is tasked with monitoring human rights in Europe. It was issued the same day as a trial began in Italy against CIA agents suspected of involvement in capturing one of the prison network’s victims

What was previously just a set of allegations is now proven,” the report began. Providing a portrait of lawlessness on an international scale, it noted, “Large numbers of people have been abducted from various locations across the world and transferred to countries where they have been persecuted and where it is known that torture is common practice. Others have been held in arbitrary detention, without any precise charges leveled against them and without any judicial oversight—denied the possibility of defending themselves. Still others have simply disappeared for indefinite periods and have been held in secret prisons, including in member states of the Council of Europe, the existence and operations of which have been concealed ever since.”

Known within the US government as the “High-Value Detainee Program,” the system of secret detention was established shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. A presidential directive signed at that time substantially increased the powers of the CIA, exploiting the “war on terror” to establish a network of prisons that could be used as part of future wars planned by the US.

I bolded that sentence, because I find it so interesting, the system of secret detentions was established "

exploiting the “war on terror” to establish a network of prisons that could be used as part of future wars planned by the US.

future wars planned by the US? Like how many future pre-emptive wars are/were being planned??

I thought it was all about defence, this sounds like offence ?

But as the program was developed, it was Poland and later Romania that were the principal countries used by the CIA. In developing contacts with these countries—which were selected in part because of their economic dependency and their eagerness to establish relations with the US—the CIA sought to ensure unilateral control over the prisoners. The US intelligence agency established direct ties with the military of these countries, bypassing all but top-level civilian officials.

in other words, there willingness to be paid off.

Of those who had knowledge of the program, the report singles out several high-ranking officials, including former Polish President Aleksander Kwansniewski and former Romanian President Ion Iliescu.

Agreements were reached with these countries in order to allow the CIA to operate outside any legal constraints of the host country. “I consider that the stated US policy has, in fact, on the pretext of guaranteeing security, intentionally created a framework enabling it to evade all accountability,” the report stated. The CIA sought deliberately to remove itself from “conventional democratic controls in the foreign countries.”

While those originally transferred to Poland were alleged top officials in Al Qaeda, including Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohamed, the types of prisoners broadened as the program expanded. The report states that among those imprisoned in Romania were “leaders of branches of suspected ‘support networks’ for the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan” and “suspected leaders of terrorist factions in the Middle East,” in addition to leaders of the Taliban.

These categories are broad enough to include anyone considered harmful to US interests in the Middle East.

anyone at all!

As evidence of its assertion that secret CIA prison camps were operated in Poland and Romania between 2002 and 2005, the report cites the testimony of intelligence officials and the fact that flight recordings for CIA planes tend to correspond with the capture of significant prisoners by the US.

In addition, the team that prepared the report analyzed “hundreds of pages” of aeronautical data, which demonstrates that “in the majority of cases these CIA flights were deliberately disguised so that their actual movements would not be tracked or recorded....” Dummy flight plans were filed in order to disguise the destination of CIA-operated planes, an example of which can be found here.

The report also devotes a significant amount of space to depicting the conditions faced by prisoners caught up in the program. It describes truly horrendous conditions of isolation, psychological abuse and torture.

The conditions were designed deliberately to dehumanize prisoners and destroy their will. According to the report, prisoners were taken to their cell by “strong people who wore black outfits, masks that covered their whole faces, and dark visors over their eyes.” They were stripped and kept naked for weeks. A common feature at the beginning of the prison time was a four-month isolation regime. “During this period of over 120 days, absolutely no human contact was granted with anyone but masked, silent guards.”

Physical torture was also used. Prisoners were subjected to extreme temperatures, regulated by airflow from a single hole at the top of a prisoner’s cell. “There was a shackling ring in the wall of the cell, about half a metre up off the floor,” the report states. “Detainees’ hands and feet were clamped in handcuffs and leg irons. Bodies were regularly forced into contorted shapes and chained to this ring for long, painful periods.”

In addition, prisoners were subjected to sensory deprivation and overload. They were at times bombarded with loud music or other sounds, including “distorted verses from the Koran, or irritating noises—thunder, planes taking off, crackling laughter, the screams of women and children.”

Marty condemns in particular the role of European governments in facilitating the CIA program and attempting to obstruct the council’s investigations. “Many governments have done everything to disguise the true nature and extent of their activities and are persistent in their uncooperative attitude,” the report states. “Some European governments have obstructed the search for the truth and are continuing to do so by invoking the concept of ‘state secrets.’ ” Within the later category, the report singles out in particular Germany and Italy. Many countries, as well as NATO, did not respond to questionnaires distributed by the investigation.

A further section of the report details the case studies of captured individuals that highlight the complicity of different governments, including Khaled El-Masri (Germany), Abu Omar (Italy) and Maher Arar (Canada).

and on and on....

the full report which was commissioned by Council Of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

is available in pdf here:........

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/pol...df?hpid=topnews

[kuzadd]

A further section of the report details the case studies of captured individuals that highlight the complicity of different governments, including Khaled El-Masri (Germany), Abu Omar (Italy) and Maher Arar (Canada).

where are all the human rights advocates here?

[buffycat]

Hi Kuzadd,

It's been known for a while about all these prisons and torture bases within old Europe.

Don't expect the usual crowd here to shed a tear. For them it's fine to torture anyone who doesn't agree with their own view of things.

But dear Kuzadd - please recall 'they' hate us for our freedoms!

Nothing will happen to any of those who called the shots on this. It is IMO part of the whole plan to destroy the one country which could have stopped the move to global government - the US. As you know empires die from within - and sadly the US is dying right now - because of the rot and corruption over the last few decades. Very sad - not only for those caught in the crossfire (these prisoners, Iraqis, Afghans, Palestinians and now Iranians) but also for the American public who has been so completely dumbed down they can't even find themselves on a world map, and especially for those Patriots left who realize who they have been sold out by their satanic leaders.

Torture - no matter how one coats it - never achieves the intended goal.

But what it does do is strip any kind of moral high ground claimed by those who are doing the torture and fuel the hate and rhetoric against the American people (most of whom have no idea what is really going on in their name).

Keep in mind though, Canada has allowed these flights to land here and refuel - so we are just as complicit. Gone are the days where we as Canadians enjoyed a reputation of peace makers around the world. Thanks Martin, Chretien and of course Herr Harper.

[kuzadd]

Yes ,Canada was cited in the report as being complicit.

A western democracy, aiding in the round up of people, held without charge of course, in the"war on terror",

what sickens me , is some of us, sit here in Canda , and point our fingers at other countries, who commit human rights abuses, while keeping the blinders on, when it comes to our own countries human rights abuses.

As if we hold the higher moral ground?!

It's seems more and more like some are holder the higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards, but , not much else.

[buffycat]

what sickens me , is some of us, sit here in Canda , and point our fingers at other countries, who commit human rights abuses, while keeping the blinders on, when it comes to our own countries human rights abuses.

As if we hold the higher moral ground?!

It's seems more and more like some are holder the higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards, but , not much else.

Indeed!!

It's like the world is moving backwards and we are all rushing headlong into another DARK age!

[kuzadd]

Indeed!!

It's like the world is moving backwards and we are all rushing headlong into another DARK age!

Like after the fall of that other empire?

[Argus]

Yes ,Canada was cited in the report as being complicit.

A western democracy, aiding in the round up of people, held without charge of course, in the"war on terror",

what sickens me , is some of us, sit here in Canda , and point our fingers at other countries, who commit human rights abuses, while keeping the blinders on, when it comes to our own countries human rights abuses.

As if we hold the higher moral ground?!

It's seems more and more like some are holder the higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards, but , not much else.

Thus spaketh the standard bearer.

Gee, we might be complicit in the US arresting terror suspects and holding them in secret prisons.

Sure. That makes us the same, no higher moral ground, than nations which castrate journalists and shove red hot pokers up their asses. We're on no higher a moral ground than nations which arrest whole familes and throw them into concentration camps because a distant relative was overheard speaking doubts about the wisdom of a government program. We're on no higher moral ground than a Palestinian Authority which fires rockets into Israel blindly, to kill anyone who happens by, in order to improve their street credo in their war against their rivals. Mass rape and ethnic cleansing do exactly equal being "complicit" in arresting foreign terrorist suspects and holding them without trial. You're exactly right!

What was that last line of yours again.... higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards. Right.

[kuzadd]

Thus spaketh the standard bearer.

Gee, we might be complicit in the US arresting terror suspects and holding them in secret prisons.

Sure. That makes us the same, no higher moral ground, than nations which castrate journalists and shove red hot pokers up their asses. We're on no higher a moral ground than nations which arrest whole familes and throw them into concentration camps because a distant relative was overheard speaking doubts about the wisdom of a government program. We're on no higher moral ground than a Palestinian Authority which fires rockets into Israel blindly, to kill anyone who happens by, in order to improve their street credo in their war against their rivals. Mass rape and ethnic cleansing do exactly equal being "complicit" in arresting foreign terrorist suspects and holding them without trial. You're exactly right!

What was that last line of yours again.... higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards. Right.

You talking about the US torture at Abu Ghraib right, all kinds of stuff went into numerous areas of people's bodies. For one?

Rounding up people, 'disappearing people'

Mass rapes and ethnic cleansing, have been done by "the good guys|

Clearly in denial.

like i said" higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards"

from the report:

What was previously just a set of allegations is now proven,” the report began. Providing a portrait of lawlessness on an international scale, it noted, “Large numbers of people have been abducted from various locations across the world and transferred to countries where they have been persecuted and where it is known that torture is common practice. Others have been held in arbitrary detention, without any precise charges leveled against them and without any judicial oversight—denied the possibility of defending themselves. Still others have simply disappeared for indefinite periods and have been held in secret prisons, including in member states of the Council of Europe, the existence and operations of which have been concealed ever since.”

Did you read the report?

of course not.

[bush_cheney2004]

Nothing will happen to any of those who called the shots on this. It is IMO part of the whole plan to destroy the one country which could have stopped the move to global government - the US. As you know empires die from within - and sadly the US is dying right now - because of the rot and corruption over the last few decades. Very sad - not only for those caught in the crossfire (these prisoners, Iraqis, Afghans, Palestinians and now Iranians) but also for the American public who has been so completely dumbed down they can't even find themselves on a world map, and especially for those Patriots left who realize who they have been sold out by their satanic leaders.

This is utter folly....in one breath you bemoan the "fall" of the US to satanic demons while wishing the same hegemon retained and used such dominance (power) to meet favored objectives. The US does not exist as the muscle for your brand of "human rights" imperialism. It has never been the utopian savior for the world, and was born of slavery, domination, descrimination, incarceration, and genocide...continued to this day in self interest.

Your empire has already fallen, leaving a jolly good mess for others to clean up. God save the Queen and all that jazz.

[Argus]

Thus spaketh the standard bearer.

Gee, we might be complicit in the US arresting terror suspects and holding them in secret prisons.

Sure. That makes us the same, no higher moral ground, than nations which castrate journalists and shove red hot pokers up their asses. We're on no higher a moral ground than nations which arrest whole familes and throw them into concentration camps because a distant relative was overheard speaking doubts about the wisdom of a government program. We're on no higher moral ground than a Palestinian Authority which fires rockets into Israel blindly, to kill anyone who happens by, in order to improve their street credo in their war against their rivals. Mass rape and ethnic cleansing do exactly equal being "complicit" in arresting foreign terrorist suspects and holding them without trial. You're exactly right!

What was that last line of yours again.... higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards. Right.

You talking about the US torture at Abu Ghraib right, all kinds of stuff went into numerous areas of people's bodies. For one?

Rounding up people, 'disappearing people'

Mass rapes and ethnic cleansing, have been done by "the good guys|

Clearly in denial.

like i said" higher ground in stupidity and bearing double standards"

from the report:

What was previously just a set of allegations is now proven,” the report began.

Interestingly, it then fails to prove it, thus causing reasonable people to question the lack of bias in the report.