Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 02:43 AM Dec 2014

CIA torture report: Europe must come clean about its own complicity

CIA torture report: Europe must come clean about its own complicity

Under President Bush the CIA used a web of European airports and bases for its extraordinary rendition flights, secretly transferring terror suspects across borders for interrogation. Some European states helped the CIA to carry out kidnappings. Others hosted CIA “black sites” – in effect, torture chambers – on their territory. The 600-page redacted summary of the 6,000-page report, published on Tuesday by the Senate intelligence committee, will no doubt be scrutinised to see what it may reveal of the continent’s involvement in these abuses.

In 2007 a special investigator for the Council of Europe, Dick Marty, concluded that there was “enough evidence to state” that American secret prisons existed in Poland and Romania. He added that the “illegal deportation of suspects by CIA kidnapping teams in Europe” amounted to “a massive and systematic violation of human rights”.

After 9/11 the CIA reached out to its European allies as it embarked on its detention and extraordinary rendition operation. The aim was to place detainees beyond the reach of law. The active participation of dozens of foreign governments made both the renditions and interrogations possible. How many in Europe will now be pressed to disclose the full extent of their involvement in these operations?

To this day the exact scale of European complicity remains unknown. This is because of the secrecy maintained for years by the US and its partner governments. Washington has never confirmed the location of secret CIA prisons, nor named the governments that cooperated, and nor indeed does the material just published. A decade on, there is still no public comprehensive account.
10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
2. We know about several countries. Not just in Europe either.
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 02:53 AM
Dec 2014

But if those countries could be compelled to release information then we'd know more about what our own government did.

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
3. 54 countries that reportedly participated in the CIA’s rendition program
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 03:00 AM
Dec 2014
A staggering map of the 54 countries that reportedly participated in the CIA’s rendition program


Extraordinary Rendition and/or Black Sites


The 54 governments identified in this report span the continents of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, and include: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.



GLOBALIZING TORTURE CIA SECRET DETENTION AND EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION
 

cherokeeprogressive

(24,853 posts)
4. LOL. As IF Europe would come clean about ANYTHING if the result would be to absolve the US of guilt
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 03:00 AM
Dec 2014

Europe in general won't get over its jealousy until The United States is either a mud hole or a smokin' hole.

Europe ain't comin' clean about shit.

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
5. It wouldn't absolve America of guilt. That isn't possible.
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 03:04 AM
Dec 2014

If they came clean on how they helped the US...that makes them complicit in America's war crimes. That in no way absolves the US.

It would, however, expose their own guilt. As they would also be guilty of war crimes.

Which from news stories over the years we already know other countries aided the US in war crimes...and not just European countries.

 

cherokeeprogressive

(24,853 posts)
6. Conceded. "complicit in America's war crimes." Not absolution... that was the wrong word to use.
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 03:14 AM
Dec 2014

Complicity.

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
7. Poland 'helped in CIA rendition', European court rules
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 03:51 AM
Dec 2014
Poland broke the European human rights convention in helping the CIA to render two terror suspects, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.

The judges said Poland had co-operated with the secret illegal transfers in 2002-2003, allowing two suspects to be interrogated on its territory.

It is the first such case concerning a CIA "black site" prison in Poland.


Polish officials called the ruling "embarrassing for Poland", but also "premature" because Poland's investigation into the prison allegations was still going on.

The court held that "the treatment to which the applicants had been subjected by the CIA during their detention in Poland had amounted to torture".

newfie11

(8,159 posts)
8. Sounds like a kid trying to justify what he did
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 09:01 AM
Dec 2014

Well yes we tortured prisoners but but so did other countries!!!!
Face up to it America!

muriel_volestrangler

(101,153 posts)
9. The author is a Frenchwoman writing in a British newspaper
Wed Dec 10, 2014, 11:48 AM
Dec 2014
Natalie Nougayrède is a columnist, leader writer and foreign affairs commentator for the Guardian. She was previously executive editor and managing editor of Le Monde
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»CIA torture report: Europ...