dKOS: CIA "torture pilots" discovered

[understandinglife]

BREAKING: CIA "torture pilots" discovered
by ProgressiveSouth

Mon Feb 19, 2007 at 12:56:45 PM PST
Cross-posted at

NOTE: This is truly a breaking story, and one that must get told far and wide if we are to rein in U.S. torture policy. Please recommend and spread the word!

In a fast-moving story that's being followed by several news organizations (including reporters here at the Institute), the identities of three North Carolina pilots -- all operating under aliases -- linked to CIA "extraordinary rendition" flights have been discovered.

The new information, reported in yesterday's , comes at a time of growing outrage over the U.S. practice of whisking away terror suspects to countries with lax rules against torture. The discovery comes in the wake of , in addition to 10 other CIA operatives, for arrest in the kidnapping and abuse of Khaled Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent.

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Link:http://www.dailykos.com/hotlist/add/2007/2/19/155048/609/displaystory//

IT IS TRIBUNAL TIME IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

[understandinglife]

1. UPDATE: Courtesy of DKosser Avila, here is more background.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/12/5/54811/5610


Peace.

[peacetalksforall]

2. Italy. Germany. When iwill Ireland, UK, Poland, Romania, and all the

other fuel-stop countries going to join in the rebellion against terrorism by torment and torure?

[understandinglife]

3. "5 answers"

One, international action clearly does not preclude domestic action.

Second, waiting for U.S. courts to act hasn't exactly proved fruitful, has it?

Third, it was the U.S. that made this an international issue by crossing country lines to conduct interrogations in places where they could torture people. Once they made that decision, they gave up the "right" to say this should "stay at home."

Fourth, if other governments believe the human rights of their citizens were violated, are you suggesting they do not have the right to seek legal recourse?

And lastly, I don't want to live in any country that believes it is above international law. The rest of the world -- and many U.S. citizens -- don't seem to like such U.S. viewpoints, either.

Blogging for a Progressive South // www.southernstudies.org/facingsouth

In_DEED!


BE AMERICA. ---

[Felinity]

4. K&R It's about time.

There's another (former) pilot in the DC area who calls all the shots when it comes to torture. Perhaps the Germans can take him along with this crowd.

[seafan]

5. This is a good place for this UK Times article from 2006.

...just to provide more info related to the OP.


US military planes criss-cross Europe using bogus call sign

Jon Swain and Brian Johnson-Thomas in Rome
February 19, 2006

THE American military have been operating flights across Europe using a call sign assigned to a civilian airline that they have no legal right to use.
Not only is the call sign bogus — according to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) — so, it appears, are some of the aircraft details the Americans have filed with the air traffic control authorities.
In at least one case, a plane identified with the CIA practice of “extraordinary rendition” — transporting terrorist suspects — left a US air base just after the arrival of an aircraft using the bogus call sign.

The call sign Juliet Golf Oscar (JGO) followed by a flight number belongs, says the ICAO, to a now bankrupt Canadian low-cost airline called Jetsgo of Montreal.
But for several years and as recently as last December it has been used selectively by both the American air force and army to cover the flights of aircraft to and from the Balkans.
These range from Learjet 35 executive jets to C-130 transport planes and MC-130P Combat Shadows, which are specially adapted for clandestine missions in politically sensitive or hostile territory.
A Sunday Times analysis of flight plans and radio logs has placed these aircraft at locations including Tuzla in Bosnia, Pristina in Kosovo, Aviano, the site of a large joint US-Italian military air base in northern Italy, and Ramstein in Germany, the headquarters of the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).

.....

While the Learjet was on the ground at Tuzla, an Ilyushin 76 was loading a cargo of 45 tons of surplus weapons and ammunition sold off by the Bosnian military and destined for Rwanda in defiance of a UN embargo.
The Ilyushin left Tuzla, flew over Italy and headed south in the direction of Africa. The American Learjet took off 55 minutes later.
In a report exposing arms trafficking to war-torn central Africa, Amnesty International has suggested that “US security authorities were engaged in a covert operation to ferry arms to Rwanda in the face of political opposition from the European Union”.

.....

Another interesting convergence of flights occurred in February 2004. On February 24, an MC-130P Combat Shadow using the call sign JGO 50 took off from Aviano for an unknown destination.
Two days later, on February 26, the aircraft left Pristina for Tuzla. A short while after that, a Gulfstream 5 executive jet, call sign JGO 47, flew from Tuzla to Aviano, arriving at 23.11 GMT. The next day, a Learjet 35 using the call sign SPAR 92 left Aviano for an unknown destination.
SPAR is short for Special Air Resources, an American military airlift service that transports senior military officers and civilian VIPs.
However, SPAR 92 has been identified as the aircraft which was used by the CIA secretly to transport a Muslim preacher who was kidnapped by CIA agents in Milan in 2003.

.....

[Hobarticus]

6. Even if they're not extradited to stand trial (which won't happen)

They'll still be unable to fly out of the country, or face arrest upon landing.

Doubt there's other pilots willing to basically end their careers in international aviation, to take their place.

Mission accomplished.

[Felinity]

9. Really

What makes you think the CIA won't threaten their asses to get them to lend a hand?

[caligirl]

7. K&R

[DemReadingDU]

8. morning kick

[Supersedeas]

10. will the networks cover this or the ANS hearings?