The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was apparently granted permission to use the practice euphemistically known as "extraordinary rendition" in a directive dating from the Clinton years.
Now that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is called upon to defend the policy, she is falling back on another Bill Clinton speciality - the art of obfuscation.
Instead of Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," Rice said during her trip to Europe in December that no US personnel may use cruel or degrading practices at home or abroad when interrogating terrorist suspects.
She also explains "extraordinary rendition" — snatching people suspected of involvement in terrorism and forcibly moving them from one country to another for interrogation — is a perfectly acceptable practice. Everyone does it, apparently. No need to get bogged down with courts and lawyers.
This is OK, Rice thinks, because the US does not render these people to countries "for the purpose of interrogation using torture". Where appropriate, she said, the US seeks assurances they will not be tortured.
Isn't it odd, therefore, that the rendition destinations include Egypt and Jordan — two countries where the security services are infamous for torturing suspects?
Could it be that the jailers in these countries are familiar with the US government's contention that the ban on "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" does not apply to the interrogation of foreigners outside the US. Poof, no torture!
Rice refuses to comment on allegations about al-Qaeda suspects being held in secret CIA prisons outside the US. Again, the issue disappears.
Turning a blind eye
Only it doesn't. It was reported on 6 December that the CIA had closed down its secret jails in Eastern Europe prior to Rice's visit.
Questions also continue to be asked about CIA flights allegedly stopping over at European airports. Were these planes, the US is asked, carrying prisoners to secret jails?
Defenders of the White House's "Dirty Harry" approach to fighting terrorism are not impressed. To them, this is the latest example of "liberal surrender monkeys" in Europe attacking the US for taking the fight to al-Qaeda.
European leaders have to address whether it is hypocritical to criticise the US for practices, which, Rice claims, had saved European lives. As German newspaper 'Die Welt' said: "When it comes to realpolitik such rules are useless, because this is about the protection of one's own people against attack".
There is a growing suspicion that European ministers turned a blind eye to the scandal until it was exposed by the Washington Post — an American newspaper.
But all European governments have a duty to reveal whether they knew about the CIA flights and their cargoes.
Rendering errors
The issue is particularly hot for the former cabinet of ex-German chancellor (and ardent US-basher) Gerhard Schroeder. Did his government know about the CIA kidnap — 'rendition' — of German national Khaled al-Masri in December 2003?
 | |
| Expatica poll: Germany and extraordinary rendition |
The affair is even more sordid because al-Masri was in fact the wrong man. He was allegedly snatched by the CIA after they mistook him for a terrorist suspect with the same name.
But don't worry, Rice has an answer. "We recognise that any policy will sometimes result in errors," said Rice. "When this happens we will do everything we can to rectify it."
Apparently, releasing al-Masri on a deserted country road after five months in an Afghan jail was rectification enough for the CIA. Al-Masri is suing.
Will the American defence be that "kidnap" is a loaded term, and "pro-active no-fault relocation" would be better?
Values
American and European leaders are very fond of alluding to "Western values" and the dual prizes of democracy and the rule of law.
We want to safeguard our way of life in the face of Islamist terrorism, goes the argument. And the CIA is on hand to do our dirty work. Liberal surrender monkeys see no evil, hear no evil and let the CIA monkeys do the evil.
It is time to put an end to this nonsense. Extraordinary rendition is kidnap, aggressive interrogation tends to be inhumane and secret prisons tend to exist...or they don't.
If democracy and the rule of law can only be defended by ignoring the rule of law, what are we left with? A flawed and weaker society.
The rule and protection of the law must apply to everyone, even terrorist suspects.
It is time to ditch Clinton's double-talk dictionary and get real about defending Western values.
Cormac Mac Ruairi
Editor, Expatica Netherlands
Want to comment on this editorial? Write to feedback@expatica.com.
[Copyright Expatica 2005]
Subject: Condoleezza Rice, Europe and the CIA, Khaled al-Masri
No comments:
Post a Comment