Posted on 01/24/2006 12:22:18 AM PST by HAL9000
Strasbourg, 24.01.2006 – It is highly unlikely that European governments, or at least their intelligence services, were unaware of the “rendition” of more than a hundred persons affecting Europe, according to Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly investigator Dick Marty, whose interim assessment was made public today in an information memorandum.Citing statements made by American officials and others, Mr Marty said there was “a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of ‘relocation’ or ‘outsourcing’ of torture”.
He added: “It has been proved – and in fact never denied – that individuals have been abducted, deprived of their liberty and transported […] in Europe, to be handed over to countries in which they have suffered […] torture.” However, he acknowledged that, at this stage, there was no formal, irrefutable evidence of the existence of secret CIA detention centres in Romania, Poland or any other country.
Mr Marty also welcomed the arrival yesterday of detailed information from Eurocontrol, Europe’s air traffic agency, and satellite images from the EU’s Satellite Centre, including sites located on Romanian territory. “We will not be able to pronounce on the importance and the scope of this information until later,” he said.
It will take us at least that long to doctor the records and manufacture the evidence.
In fact it is extremely dangerous for countries like Romania to help the US in interrogating and arresting terrorists as long as they do not follow the European standarts of law. Inside the European Union (including the UK) the American practice, to interrogate and arrest suspect persons without any normal lawsuit is unlawful and not tolerated. The wider European public sees such attitudes (Gitmo, Abu Grahib) simply as barbarian and primitive. Therefore the central European powers like the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Poland or Germany are not able to tolerate foreign justice inside their zone of influence. If they would do, they had to face major trouble with their voting public. This is something they just can't afford.
Therefore it is very likely that the EU-membership of i.e. Romania would be set out if it comes out, that there where bigger CIA-prisons without any European legal norms. The EU did such punishment actions before i.e. with Austria (that was already a member then), that elected the party of the extreme populist Jörg Haider (pro-nazi, pro-Saddam) into the gouvernment some years ago. Since there are many of the EU-establishment who are not amused about the membership of Romania anyway, they would take the chance to kick them out for sure. For Romania a rejection of its application to be a EU-member would end in a complete disaster. Since it is economically totally dependent on the EU, it needs the membership to solve the severe problems of its own economy. If they are to stay out they have no chance to increase their very low standart of living. This seems to be a extremely high price for some "illegal" prisons.
The US influence on this mechanism is very limited. For most of the Europeans you are the bad guys in the meantime. Therefore it would be helpful for countries like Romania to keep everything small and secret.
Personally I feel more than sick and disgusted about these facts, but as a European I have to live with it. There is for sure no space for political correctness when someone has to deal with ruthless criminals and terrorist like the US has to do. But - who asks me??!
Oh, God no, please say it ain't so!!!
I have never seen any evidence that backs up these allegations. Maybe Europeans should also care about the abuses of false accusations and not worry too much about whether war is barbaric. They live under the American defense umbrella and that has given them an unrealistic self-righteous pacifism. Hopefully, we will soon withdraw and force them to grow up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.