Nightline 5/13: The CIA's secret prison system and the "disappeared"

[Bozita]

Looks like worthwhile viewing.

 
Nightline Daily E-Mail
May 13, 2004


TONIGHT'S FOCUS: It's a secret prison system. There are no inspections by outside agencies. No legal status. It's not even clear who's in it, except that they are the worst of the worst. And it's run by the CIA.

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This is where is gets more complicated. It's hard for anyone, with a couple of exceptions, I guess, to not be outraged by the pictures coming out of the prisons in Iraq. Many of those Iraqis are not guilty of anything, except maybe being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of them are clearly guilty, but determining who's who is part of what caused the problem in the first place. But doing those things, even to the guilty, goes against what this country stands for. We are supposed to be different.

But think back, and it seems longer and longer ago every day, to that time just after September 11th. The hurt was so deep, the anger so red, that just about anything would have seemed acceptable. Even torture. If Osama bin Laden had been caught right then, all the rules could have been thrown out, and few people would have complained. But what about now? What is being done in our names?

Correspondent John McWethy will report tonight on a secret prison system run by the CIA. There are thought to be less than thirty inmates in the system, but no one knows for sure. They are held at a number of sites outside the U.S, but the locations aren't known. The prisoners are described as "disappeared" or "non-persons," a term I think originated in George Orwell's 1984. If it didn't, it should have. No outside agencies are allowed to inspect the facilities. The prisoners have no legal status. And they will never get out. Among them are Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abu Zabeda, Ramzi Binalshibh, a who's who list of Al Qaeda leaders. No other details are provided. Why the extreme level of secrecy? The answer from one of John's sources: "That's a secret too." Are they being tortured? Who knows. And are the standards different for these guys? Different than for those Iraqis? Chris Bury will anchor tonight, and we'll look at all of those questions.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Nightline Offices
ABCNEWS Washington D.C.

[Postman]

1. Tortured?....Maybe they're getting the Sammy "the Bull" treatment...

see this nice piece of property here Mr.Ramzi Binalshibh?....This can be yours along with this harem of "love" women if you only tell us where Osama is...We'll even throw in a brand new mosque just for you.

[stinkeefresh]

2. my gut instinct is that these prisons

-the ones for the top-most Al Queda leaders - actually swank hide-outs. But then again, I think Bush and Bin Laden are doing the same job, with the same goals, in concert with each other.

[Old and In the Way]

3. I think I know why.

Read www.cooperativeresearch.org There may issues of false ID going on. They may not be the masterminds that this administration wants us to believe. Obviously, that would be a problem for this administration if the truth got out.

[bobthedrummer]

4. This is good, no more protection for criminals hiding in national security

NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.

[Bozita]

5. kick

[Bozita]

6. two minute warning