This probably isn’t news to people, but this is the first time I’ve read an article where we have specific names of the tortured, names of (former) CIA officers, names of front companies, and the name of the program: “Extraordinary Rendition.”
The article details the travails of Maher Arar, a person suing the U.S. government because he was kidnapped at JFK, sent to Syria, tortured, [tortured some more, repeat …], and eventually let go.
I honestly don’t know if we can find out facts about this, but I’m willing to give it a shot:
Is this actually happening? How do we get to the truth?
Considering the number of people who sincerely believe that they have been kipnapped by aliens, we withhold judgement until the evidence is presented. :dubious:
Well, I’m personally inclined to believe it, but I’m assuming there’s some disagreement or different interpretations, because otherwise, I’d think there would be much more news coverage of this. (I’m hearing about the rain in Los Angeles, a baby thrown out of a car, and Carson Kressly backstage at Fashion Week, so I’m assuming the MSNBC ranks this below those stories).
I’m fairly sure there will be a Pit thread about it, but I wanted to have a place where people could put links supporting the story or refuting it.
There is currently a case pending in Federal court that pertains to an American who was captured abroad, based on information passed along by US LE/Intel agencies, and thrown into a Saudi jail. Reportedly, the FBI has had full access to the prisoner, named Ahmed Abu Ali, and has regularly participated in questionings of him.
His family filed suit in US Federal court claiming that the Saudis were holding their son at the request of the US. A federal judge has agreed, and has tried to compel the Department of Justice to produce evidence about why they are encouraging the Saudis to hold this man without charges. There are also reports that Saudi authorities have pulled his fingernails out, and perhaps engaged in other forms of torture.
The DOJ has reponded that its evidence against the man is entirely secret: there is not a single part of the evidence that is not based upon classified information. In effect, this has prevented the man (and presumably his lawyer) from even knowing what the evidence against him really is.
This isn’t exactly the case the OP asked about, but it is similar enough, and at least one US judge has been convinced that there is some merit to the story.
The Arar case for awhile caused a bit of a rift between the U.S. and its greatest trading partner, Canada. Arar is a Canadian citizen carrying a Canadian passport. He was coming home from a vacation and his flight included a simple stop over in NY. U.S. Officials said he had terrorism links and deported him to Syria completely ignoring the fact that he is a Canadian citizen carryng a Canadian passpor.
About three days later they told Canadian officials who were understandably pissed. Canada issued a travel advisory to all Canadians born in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan or Syria to reconsider entering the United States. Meanwhile a UK-based human rights group reports that Arar is being tortured.
After a year of “quiet Canadian diplomacy”, Arar was eventually released by Syria and sent home to Canada. Then Prime minsiter Jean Chretian asked Colin Powell “WTF???” and a domestic inquiry was launched to find out if the RCMP collaborated in any way with U.S. Officials. The RCMP claimed it had no idea the U.S. was going to arrest this guy and certinaly not send him to Syria. Then the U.S. State Department releases a letter saying it will not provide any documents or co-operate in any way with the Arar inquiry. They have never explained why they completey ignored his Canadian citizenship and sent him to Syria.