• Military
• WMD

• Intelligence Menu               

• Systems
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Imagery
• Links

• Homeland Security
• Space

EP report says EU states covered illegal CIA rendition

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Brussels, July 6, IRNA
EP-CIA Rendition
The European Parliament debated Wednesday the interim report prepared by the EP's temporary committee's on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners.

Introducing the debate, rapporteur of the report Giovanni Fava, said, "Extraordinary renditions have been a fact - not an opinion - a fact that has even been admitted by the US Department of State".

Moreover, "some EU Member States were complicit, some covered illegal operations, some just turned their backs."
The EP committee had tried to get to the truth, he said.

It had "reconstructed in detail a very complex system of flights, of ghost planes used by the CIA and of flight plans". Many suspects were bundled on to them and into prison.

"These flights stopped over at our airports and benefited from our silence,'' he said.

Speaking for the EU Presidency, Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Paula Lehtomaki said it was important that the European Parliament and the Council of Europe had taken the initiative to investigate these issues.

"Fundamental rights in Europe and actions to combat terrorism cannot be in conflict with each other."
British MEP Sarah Ludford emphasised that in the EU "the area of justice and human rights is not working properly".

It was "implausible" for governments not to have known about these matters and the burden of proof was now being shifted on to them." This conspiracy of silence must stop,'' she said.

German MEP Cem Ozdemir said most victims were arrested illegally, many have disappeared. "We heard individuals speak of torture and inhuman treatment."
He said the "outsourcing" of torture made it difficult to estimate the sale of infringements.

British MEP Sajjad Karim said that it was clear that the CIA was directly responsible for abduction, detention and extraordinary rendition in EU Member States.

Another British MEP Claude Moraes said it was important to extend the committee's mandate in order that the truth could be established.

There was a clear difference between anti-Americanism and standing up for human rights, he said.

The EP will vote on the report on Thursday .

260/1771