Investigation into CIA Torture Flights
11.23.2005
London Denizen (nee Exile) has a post yonder about the ongoing inquiry into CIA torture flights to Europe and elsewhere.
His final point, " Come on Europe, stand up for what you believe in." Seems to have been picked up. It looks like another case of blogging motivating news-makers.
First there is news that the council of Europe, Europes highest Human Rights watchdog, is preparing to investigate the allegations surrounding torture flights.
"Under Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights  a treaty which is legally binding on all Council of Europe members  the Council chairman is authorised to request information from national governments.
The Council of EuropeÂs investigation is headed by Swiss senator Dick Marty. In a letter sent today, Davis is asking the governments to provide, by February 21, 2006, information on the manner in which their internal law ensures that acts by officials of foreign agencies within their jurisdiction are subject to adequate controls"
Marty is investigating more than terror jails, his remit includes overflights which as we can see from the picture above affects Shannon alongside some other major European airports. Bearing in mind that Dermot Ahern has already clearly distanced himself from this whole issue, taking assurances from U.S. authorities.
It seems unlikely that come February 2006 he will have serious questions to answer since there have been many stories about how LITTLE information the Irish Authorities actually require from U.S. military planes (remember the issue over whether the Soldiers had guns which is illegal yet ignored? Tgovernmentent collated little or no data on passengers or cargo).
However there is still a likelihood of this matter getticlearedred up since Marty should be able to figure if Shannon was used for trenditionion of passengers to Eastern European jails.
Thisn'tsnt the only reason however for the CIA to worry, the Council of Europe can be sidelined although it has power in the Human Rights arena. There is also (via BBC) news that another internal investigation is to take place, this time in the U.K. bringing the number of states looking into this to 4.
We are now painfully behind best practice in at least holding an investigation to dispell the suspicion of guilt. Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell and others are looking at the role of Prestwick in Glasgow in facilitating overflight for illegal renditions, speaking to the BBC he said;
" It seems to me that we [U.K] may well be facilitating transfer into circumstances where torture may be used"
There is always implacable opposition to transnational justice, contravening sovereignty and other arguments do indeed hold weight. However in tabsencense of an instrument to tie the many disparate strings of information together, those who have been exposed to torture, and the populations endangered by such radicalising activity, require some truth.
This approach is certainly to my mind the best way of achieving the degree of truth and clarity I, as an Irishman, desire. Our government has mentioned nothing of an investigation. Mentioned nothing of examining Shannons role. They should and if they refuse to then the whole jigsaw may not fall into place.
Hopefully concern over Shannon is unnecessary. From treportageage that has made into our MSM however, I fear the opposite is true. No matter what, we need to know and desire to know.
For those who followed Soj's series at Eurotribune on the CIA jails, part 7 is here. Translating news reports from Romania and others on the reaction from there.
RR
Categories: Irishpolitics, Comment, Torture
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