According to Priest, the CIA has made deals with foreign countries, many in Eastern Europe, whereby the CIA can stash people in prisons for perhaps the rest of their lives and, while they are in prison, treat them in any way they feel like whether or not such treatment violates the laws of the host country, the US or the international community.
Okay, maybe they've got some really bad guys in these jails. But, there are several concerns as to the wisdom of this program, particularly as to whether it will come to haunt us. For example, does any of the following square with our proclamations of freedom and justice:
- The only members of Congress who know about the program are the chair and vice-chair of the House and Senate intelligence committees. Not even the members of these committees know.
- Should the existence of the program become known, the US would be open to legal challenges even in those countries which house the prisons.
- It is illegal for us to hold prisoners in such isolation in the US. So, we do our dirty work outside of the range of US law.
- We and most other countries have signed the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Yet, the CIA interrogators in these prisons are allowed to use methods forbidden by this UN treaty.
- This policy was established based on a presidential 'finding' that gave the CIA broad powers in the war on terror. However, such findings must not break US law.
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It may be beyond the range of US law, but in some of the countries mentioned it is quite definitely illegal. Apparently, so covertly have these 'black sites' been set up that it seems likely even the heads of those states involved could be unaware of their existence, Priest told NBC today. The excuse that these were set up as a 'reaction' to 9/11 really cannot hold water four years after the event. George Bush's refusal to recognize the International Court becomes ever clearer with each passing revelation.
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