Marcus Aurelius: Polish Lid Comes Off Global Rendition-Torture Pot

07 Other Atrocities, 09 Terrorism, Ethics, Government, Law Enforcement
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Marcus Aurelius
The New York Times

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March 27, 2012
By JOANNA BERENDT and

WARSAW — The former head of Poland’s intelligence service has been charged with aiding the Central Intelligence Agency in setting up a secret prison to detain suspected members of Al Qaeda, a leading newspaper here reported on Tuesday, the first high-profile case in which a former senior official of any government has been prosecuted in connection with the agency’s program.

The daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza reported that the former intelligence chief, Zbigniew Siemiatkowski, told the paper that he faced charges of violating international law by “unlawfully depriving prisoners of their liberty,” in connection with the secret C.I.A. prison where Qaeda suspects were subjected to brutal interrogation methods.

When President Obama took office in 2009, he said he wanted to “look forward, as opposed to looking backward” and rejected calls for a broad investigation of C.I.A. interrogations and other Bush administration counterterrorism programs. In sharp contrast, the Poles see the case as a crucial test for rule of law and the investigation by prosecutors here has reached the highest levels of Polish politics.

One of Poland’s prime ministers during the period when terrorism suspects were alleged to have been subjected to torture in Poland, Leszek Miller, could be charged before Poland’s State Tribunal, the newspaper said.

“We try to treat our Constitution seriously and try not to forget the fact that there was a manifest violation of the Polish Constitution within the country’s borders,” said Adam Bodnar, vice president of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, based in Warsaw.

Read full article.

Phi Beta Iota:  There is nothing honorable, patriotic, or even intelligent about rendition and torture (or the drone program managed by CIA)  All those US citizens who can be identified by foreign governments as participants in the rendition and torture programs or the drone programs would be well advised to avoid any foreign travel lest they be arrested and charged for crimes against humanity.  Poland–like Iceland against financial terrorism–is on the right path.

See Also:

Robert Steele: Waterboarding Morons — A Social Cancer

Bin Laden Show 59: Waterboarding for Morons Part II–Senator John McCain Gets Explicit “NO–N, O”

Bin Laden Show 55: Waterboarding for Morons

Journal: Chuck Spinney Sends–On Torture–While Obama Signs Law Blocking Release of Torture Photos

Former CIA Director, Former CIA Counterterrorism Director, 31 Other Intelligence Experts Announce Support for McCain Anti-Torture Amendment to Defense Bill

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