Ex-US Secretary of State Colin Powell has indicated that Europeans are being disingenuous when they deny knowledge of the rendition of terror suspects. Mr Powell said the recently highlighted practice of moving people to places where they are not covered by US law was neither "new or unknown" to Europe. A number of countries where flights allegedly stopped have said they were unaware of their land being used. ... But Gen Powell was dismissive of the furore in Europe. "There's a little bit of the movie Casablanca in this, where, you know, the inspector says 'I'm shocked, shocked that this kind of thing takes place'. "Well, most of our European friends cannot be shocked that this kind of thing takes place... The fact that we have, over the years, had procedures in place that would deal with people who are responsible for terrorist activities, or suspected of terrorist activities, and so the thing that is called rendition is not something that is new or unknown to my European friends."
Mr Powell said the recently highlighted practice of moving people to places where they are not covered by US law was neither "new or unknown" to Europe.
A number of countries where flights allegedly stopped have said they were unaware of their land being used.
... But Gen Powell was dismissive of the furore in Europe.
"There's a little bit of the movie Casablanca in this, where, you know, the inspector says 'I'm shocked, shocked that this kind of thing takes place'.
"Well, most of our European friends cannot be shocked that this kind of thing takes place... The fact that we have, over the years, had procedures in place that would deal with people who are responsible for terrorist activities, or suspected of terrorist activities, and so the thing that is called rendition is not something that is new or unknown to my European friends."
European governments, including Britain's, were under growing pressure last night to reveal the extent of their involvement in controversial US "extraordinary renditions". Colin Powell, the former US Secretary of State, said that statements of ignorance by European leaders such Jack Straw about the transport, detention and torture of suspects were not believable. "There's a little bit of the movie Casablanca in this, where, you know, the inspector says, 'I'm shocked, shocked that this kind of thing [gambling] takes place'," he said in the interview with Sir David Frost. Speaking on the BBC's World TV channel yesterday, Mr Powell criticised the US's European allies for feigning ignorance of rendition, and dismissed suggestions that governments were surprised that their airports may have been involved in rendition. "Most of our European friends cannot be shocked that this kind of thing takes place. The fact is that we have, over the years, had procedures in place that would deal with people who are responsible for terrorist activities, or suspected terrorist activities, and so the thing that is called rendition is not something that is new or unknown to my European friends."
Colin Powell, the former US Secretary of State, said that statements of ignorance by European leaders such Jack Straw about the transport, detention and torture of suspects were not believable.
"There's a little bit of the movie Casablanca in this, where, you know, the inspector says, 'I'm shocked, shocked that this kind of thing [gambling] takes place'," he said in the interview with Sir David Frost.
Speaking on the BBC's World TV channel yesterday, Mr Powell criticised the US's European allies for feigning ignorance of rendition, and dismissed suggestions that governments were surprised that their airports may have been involved in rendition.
"Most of our European friends cannot be shocked that this kind of thing takes place. The fact is that we have, over the years, had procedures in place that would deal with people who are responsible for terrorist activities, or suspected terrorist activities, and so the thing that is called rendition is not something that is new or unknown to my European friends."
THE U.S. POLICY of "extraordinary rendition" has a human face, and it is mine. I am still recovering from an experience that was completely beyond the pale, outside the bounds of any legal framework and unacceptable in any civilized society. Because I believe in the American system of justice, I sued George Tenet, the former CIA director, last week. What happened to me should never be allowed to happen again. I was born in Kuwait and raised in Lebanon. In 1985, when Lebanon was being torn apart by civil war, I fled to Germany in search of a better life. There I became a citizen and started my own family. I have five children. On Dec. 31, 2003, I took a bus from Germany to Macedonia. When we arrived, my nightmare began. Macedonian agents confiscated my passport and detained me for 23 days. I was not allowed to contact anyone, including my wife. At the end of that time, I was forced to record a video saying I had been treated well. Then I was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to a building where I was severely beaten. My clothes were sliced from my body with a knife or scissors, and my underwear was forcibly removed. I was thrown to the floor, my hands pulled behind me, a boot placed on my back. I was humiliated. Eventually my blindfold was removed, and I saw men dressed in black, wearing black ski masks. I did not know their nationality. I was put in a diaper, a belt with chains to my wrists and ankles, earmuffs, eye pads, a blindfold and a hood. I was thrown into a plane, and my legs and arms were spread-eagled and secured to the floor. I felt two injections and became nearly unconscious. I felt the plane take off, land and take off. I learned later that I had been taken to Afghanistan. There, I was beaten again and left in a small, dirty, cold concrete cell. I was extremely thirsty, but there was only a bottle of putrid water in the cell. I was refused fresh water.
I am still recovering from an experience that was completely beyond the pale, outside the bounds of any legal framework and unacceptable in any civilized society. Because I believe in the American system of justice, I sued George Tenet, the former CIA director, last week. What happened to me should never be allowed to happen again.
I was born in Kuwait and raised in Lebanon. In 1985, when Lebanon was being torn apart by civil war, I fled to Germany in search of a better life. There I became a citizen and started my own family. I have five children.
On Dec. 31, 2003, I took a bus from Germany to Macedonia. When we arrived, my nightmare began. Macedonian agents confiscated my passport and detained me for 23 days. I was not allowed to contact anyone, including my wife.
At the end of that time, I was forced to record a video saying I had been treated well. Then I was handcuffed, blindfolded and taken to a building where I was severely beaten. My clothes were sliced from my body with a knife or scissors, and my underwear was forcibly removed. I was thrown to the floor, my hands pulled behind me, a boot placed on my back. I was humiliated.
Eventually my blindfold was removed, and I saw men dressed in black, wearing black ski masks. I did not know their nationality. I was put in a diaper, a belt with chains to my wrists and ankles, earmuffs, eye pads, a blindfold and a hood. I was thrown into a plane, and my legs and arms were spread-eagled and secured to the floor. I felt two injections and became nearly unconscious. I felt the plane take off, land and take off. I learned later that I had been taken to Afghanistan.
There, I was beaten again and left in a small, dirty, cold concrete cell. I was extremely thirsty, but there was only a bottle of putrid water in the cell. I was refused fresh water.
British agents helped the Americans seize two UK residents and incarcerate them in Guantánamo Bay where they are still detained, a former Foreign Office minister said yesterday. Chris Mullin, a former minister for Africa, told the Guardian that as a result Britain is morally obliged to help them. Bisher al-Rawi, an Iraqi who had lived in Britain for nearly 20 years, and his friend, Jamil el-Banna, were seized in Gambia in 2002 while on a business trip. The British government should take responsibility for their fate, Mr Mullin said. "It may not have a legal obligation but it has a moral obligation given that we played a part in putting them into Guantánamo Bay," he said. "They will rot there until someone pulls their finger out." Mr Rawi and Mr Banna were held by British security and intelligence officers for three days before being released, he said. The officers then tipped off the Americans about their whereabouts. The two businessmen have always said that British agents were complicit in their abduction at Banjul, the Gambian capital. Now a former minister responsible for Africa has backed up their claims.
Chris Mullin, a former minister for Africa, told the Guardian that as a result Britain is morally obliged to help them.
Bisher al-Rawi, an Iraqi who had lived in Britain for nearly 20 years, and his friend, Jamil el-Banna, were seized in Gambia in 2002 while on a business trip.
The British government should take responsibility for their fate, Mr Mullin said. "It may not have a legal obligation but it has a moral obligation given that we played a part in putting them into Guantánamo Bay," he said. "They will rot there until someone pulls their finger out."
Mr Rawi and Mr Banna were held by British security and intelligence officers for three days before being released, he said. The officers then tipped off the Americans about their whereabouts.
The two businessmen have always said that British agents were complicit in their abduction at Banjul, the Gambian capital. Now a former minister responsible for Africa has backed up their claims.
OTTAWA (CP) - A plane owned by an alleged front for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency recently flew from Newfoundland to a Scottish airport that's under scrutiny as an apparent destination for numerous covert flights. Records obtained by The Canadian Press show the Hercules aircraft landed at Gander, Nfld., on Nov. 28 before heading the next day to Prestwick Airport near Glasgow, Scotland. The C-130 plane, with tail number N4557C, is registered to Rapid Air Transport Inc. of Beltsville, Md., identified by the New York Times as one of several shell companies controlled by the CIA. The Hercules, which flew to Newfoundland via New Hampshire, began its journey Nov. 27 at Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Fla., a reported hub for CIA-owned aircraft. Scotland's Prestwick Airport has become the focal point of British controversy as the stopover point for a Gulfstream jet used to transport al-Qaida suspects to prisons in Egypt and Jordan. The CIA has declined to comment on the movements of its alleged aircraft. Though numerous planes appear to be tied to U.S. intelligence or law-enforcement services through front companies, it is sometimes unclear which agencies own or lease the aircraft.
Records obtained by The Canadian Press show the Hercules aircraft landed at Gander, Nfld., on Nov. 28 before heading the next day to Prestwick Airport near Glasgow, Scotland.
The C-130 plane, with tail number N4557C, is registered to Rapid Air Transport Inc. of Beltsville, Md., identified by the New York Times as one of several shell companies controlled by the CIA.
The Hercules, which flew to Newfoundland via New Hampshire, began its journey Nov. 27 at Bob Sikes Airport in Crestview, Fla., a reported hub for CIA-owned aircraft.
Scotland's Prestwick Airport has become the focal point of British controversy as the stopover point for a Gulfstream jet used to transport al-Qaida suspects to prisons in Egypt and Jordan.
The CIA has declined to comment on the movements of its alleged aircraft.
Though numerous planes appear to be tied to U.S. intelligence or law-enforcement services through front companies, it is sometimes unclear which agencies own or lease the aircraft.
