[IP] more on CIA /renditions - EU member formally admits

[Ethan Ackerman]

to it

Greetings Dave,  (as always - for editing/posting if you see fit)

Victor Marks' email brought up interesting news about the European
Parliament investigation into US/EU 'rendition' cooperation,
especially in light of some of the other rather explosive testimony &
findings heard last week.  It turns out that at least one EU member
state has FORMALLY (though not yet publicly) admitted to illegally
turning suspects over to the CIA for rendition.  The Council of
Europe's rendition investigation, one of two currently running in
parallel, has formally determined renditions did occur.

The Council of Europe's Secretary General Terry Davis' statement
Tuesday perhaps says it best: " I am now in position to say that we no
longer need to speak about 'alleged' cases of rendition. ... we have
received official acknowledgment..." from at least one member country.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Com/Files/Events/2006-cia/
and
http://www.localnewsleader.com/elytimes/stories/index.php?
action=fullnews&id=174943
or (the major German paper) Deutsche Welle
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1969430,00.html

Mr Marks' email discusses the parallel European Parliment (EP)
investigation - the one more covered in the US media. The ongoing EP
committee holding hearings on EU cooperation with CIA rendition
flights has heard a LOT of testimony.  On Thursday they heard from,
among others, Gijs de Vries, the EC anti-terrorism coordinator.  It
should be noted that Mr. de Vries' position is 'non-operational,' - he
does not interact with the secret services of individual states.  A
good US analogy would be a politically-appointed head of an advisory
committee.
His carefully worded testimony has been almost the only testimony to
dispute US-EU cooperation in such a program. Specifically, he
testified "It [cooperation] does not appear to be proven beyond
reasonable doubt."  This carefully chose wording refers to proof of a
level high enough to win a criminal conviction.  News articles
covering his testimony are pointing out his unwillingness to deny
cooperation, and his insisting instead that it 'can't be proven' to a
standard sufficient for criminal conviction.

The testimony preceding Mr. deVries may be much more enlightening.
Ex-UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray testified that western
secret services, including the US, UK and Germany, were using
intelligence obtained under torture from renditioned detainees in
Uzbekistan. Mr. Murray testified he had reviewed the classified and
official US and UK policy papers deciding that, while the US and UK
would not torture, intelligence gathered by 3rd party torturers,
including Uzbekistan, would be used. "I say this with great pain but
with absolute certainty," the ex-ambassador stated.

Excellent summary and links at the (excellent for legal news) UPitt.
Law news website JURIST:
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/04/eu-terrorism-chief-
denies-existence-of.php

for more MSM coverage (here and in the EU):
http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?
StoryID=20060421-090811-1005r
 or
http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-154518-16&type=News   or
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?
subchannel_id=52&story_id=29434&name=Germany+uses+torture+to+get
+intelligence%3A+claim
    or
http://euobserver.com/22/21401


Meanwhile, it turns out the UK government has also admitted _in
writing_ to cooperating with US seizures and renditions, though not
necessarily in the EU.  The UK did an about face, admitted to passing
false info to the US that led to a CIA seizure and rendition of 2 UK
nationals in Gambia.  It turns out that the UK now wants them back -
one was apparently a MI5 informer.

http://www.upi.com/InternationalIntelligence/view.php?
StoryID=20060328-123008-5276r
    and
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,1757234,00.html

I wholly agree with Mr. Marks on the last (and possibly most
important) point: Final EU Parliament findings will (hopefully) be
released in June.

-Ethan Ackerman


On 4/22/06, David Farber <dave at farber.net> wrote:
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>From: L Victor Marks <victor at victormarks.com>
>Date: April 21, 2006 10:19:24 PM EDT
>To: dave at farber.net
>Subject: Re: [IP] CIA fires leaker; shades of confidentiality/privacy
>
>>http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/04/21/
>>eu_official_no_evidence_of_illegal_cia_action/
>
>The EU has found no evidence of illegal CIA action.
>
>Secret renditions? None found. Violations of human rights? None
>found. Final findings will be released in June.
>
>So, if the final findings confirm what the EU antiterrorism
>coordinator has said publicly, what we have is a leaker who leaked a
>falsehood that caused embarrassment, made a serious allegation,  and
>wasn't even factual.
>
>I imagine if I embarrassed my employer with a false accusation that I
>too would be fired. But state and federal employees get a different
>standard, whistleblower protection. From what little I know of
>whistleblower protection, I understand that the whistleblower has to
>report the alleged illegal act to the proper authority, not the press.
>
>


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