US was 'outsourcing' torture: European probe

[maddezmom]

STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - A Swiss investigator said on Tuesday there was evidence of "outsourcing of torture" by the United States but he had not uncovered any irrefutable evidence that the CIA operated secret prisons in Europe.

Dick Marty, a Swiss senator investigating the charges for the Council of Europe human rights watchdog, said it was "highly unlikely" that European governments were unaware of the abduction and transfer of prisoners.

There was "a great deal of coherent, convergent evidence pointing to the existence of a system of 'relocation' or 'outsourcing of torture'," Marty said in a preliminary report prepared for the 46-nation body in Strasbourg in eastern France.

"No cogent evidence has yet emerged on the existence in Europe of detention camps like the one at Guantanamo Bay," he added, referring to the controversial U.S. military detention center in Cuba.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/security_cia_prisons_dc;_


European Probe Discovers `Indications' of Secret CIA Prisons
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- A Council of Europe investigator probing the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said there are ``many indications'' of possible secret detention centers for terrorist suspects in Europe, while no concrete proof exists.

Dick Marty, a Swiss parliamentarian and former prosecutor, also cited a ``relocation'' and ``outsourcing'' of torture in a preliminary report released on the Internet today.

The 46-nation council, which advocates human rights and respect for the law, in November opened its inquiry into the CIA's handling of suspected terrorists. The move followed media reports the U.S. secretly held suspects in eastern Europe and used European countries as transit points for the detainees.

``At this stage of the investigations, there is no formal, irrefutable evidence of the existence of secret CIA detention centers in Romania, Poland, or any other country,'' Marty said in his report. ``Nevertheless, there are many indications from various sources which must be considered reliable, justifying the continuation of the analytical and investigative work.''

more:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=avgW0RCIdPgU

Marty speaking live now on CNNInternational, if anyone is interested.

[TaleWgnDg]

1. He's already shot himself in the foot, why continue? E.g.,

"while no concrete proof exists," "there is no formal, irrefutable evidence of the existence of secret CIA detention centers" . . . yeah? So, okay now he wants to continue the investigation? Fine.

[area51]

2. We offshore every job that's not nailed down...

... so why not offshore torture? </sarcasm>

We (as a nation) have gone from fighting the nazis in WWII to being the nazis.

[izzie]

3. Are they mixed in with the countries prisons? Would say yes.

I would say it would be hard to get in to the prison system in most countries.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Denis MacShane, quoted in the Yahoo article, is Blair's sock puppet

and you can see he wants the investigation shut down. That's the problem - the governments who took part in the renditions are doing what they can to obstruct it, denying access to bases and prisons. While police and the justice systems in countries have fairly good powers for holding their own government accountable, established over the decades, international efforts like this Council of Europe investigation struggle to go up against the government of the member countries. It's rather like the UN inspectors trying to get access to everywhere in Iraq - difficult when the dictator tells them to, politely, fuck off.

[lostexpectation]

5. Europe 'knew about' CIA flights CoE report

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4641810.stm

European governments were almost certainly aware of the CIA's secret prisoner flights via European airspace or airports, a key report has said.

The preliminary report comes from Swiss MP Dick Marty, for the human rights watchdo

CoE interim report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/24_01_06_detention.pdf

[lostexpectation]

6. I prefer the "Europe 'knew about' CIA flights headline"

lets not let Europe undemocratic uncivil leaders off the hook

[Voltaire99]

7. Unfair to American rednecks!

How the hell are our own torturers supposed to get ahead in this world if they can't count on three-square and a bunk for their talents?