If the U.S. Does Not Torture Prisoners, Why Fly Them to Countries That Do?

Question

The Federal Government has asked a California court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the ACLU in behalf of five men who claim they were flown to another country where they were tortured and interrogated. Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bucholz said that CIA Intelligence information would be jeopardized if the case proceeded.

Although the President claimed that the U.S. does not torture prisoners, this Detention and Interrogation Program, called the Rendition Program has gone on for years. Among other charges, it is stated that the government "falsified flight plans to avoid public scrutiny."

The five men claiming to have been tortured in a Secret Prison located in another country claim that they are not terrorists and pose no danger for the United States.

Answer 1

I guess it depends on what the definition of torture is. Bush and Cheney are war criminals and should be handed over to the international community to be tried for their crimes. If Bill Clinton started the rendition program he should go too. You don't overcome evil by becoming evil. I think it's all an excuse. Check out the false flag terrorist attacks Baer planned in the 80's. Our elected officials are nothing but a bunch of terrorists themselves. Oh, but they hate us because we are free.

A quote from the ACLU article on the subject:

Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing to this day, the Central Intelligence Agency, together with other U.S. government agencies, has utilized an intelligence-gathering program involving the transfer of foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism to detention and interrogation in countries where -- in the CIA's view -- federal and international legal safeguards do not apply. Suspects are detained and interrogated either by U.S. personnel at U.S.-run detention facilities outside U.S. sovereign territory or, alternatively, are handed over to the custody of foreign agents for interrogation. In both instances, interrogation methods are employed that do not comport with federal and internationally recognized standards. This program is commonly known as "extraordinary rendition."

The current policy traces its roots to the administration of former President Bill Clinton. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, however, what had been a limited program expanded dramatically, with some experts estimating that 150 foreign nationals have been victims of rendition in the last few years alone. Foreign nationals suspected of terrorism have been transported to detention and interrogation facilities in Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Diego Garcia, Afghanistan, Guantánamo, and elsewhere. In the words of former CIA agent Robert Baer: "If you want a serious interrogation, you send a prisoner to Jordan. If you want them to be tortured, you send them to Syria. If you want someone to disappear -- never to see them again -- you send them to Egypt."

Answer 2

That is just the way that the Bush special ed. team works around the law. It's not necessarily a lie that Bush is telling. The problem is that you have to play that little game called "did you see what I said". Of coarse the US does not torture prisoners. They hire others to do it for them. Then hide behind that old national security thing. So, how patriotic do you feel now?

Answer 3

It's pretty obvious that the govt tortures people -- too many claims to the contrary have arisen with too much supporting evidence.

And the simple fact that the govt refuses to allow the lawsuits to proceed means they obvious have something to hide -- and there can be no justification for the govt blatantly violating its own laws in that fashion.

Answer 4

They keep prisoners out of the US for just this reason.

As long as they are abroad, they are military prisoners.

As soon as they are on US soil, some bleeding-heart activist judge will supoena the case and all records and set out to write his next book on how he took on the US military.

Easier to keep them ofshore. Don't need to torture them. If they know that they aren't going to Palm Beach but instead are going to Gitmo, they tend to talk more.

Answer 5

to learn the truth one has to refer to CIA 's history around the world. they are the best there is in torture techniques. they trained the SAVAK in Iran and the secret police in almost all other developing nations. peace

Answer 6

okay i learned this in ss last week they send them to a different country to torture them because it is supossibly in a treaty or something, because we will release any prisoners after that war has finished and they are not being tortured on our forign land so that is how they settled it.

Answer 7

Who were the "five men"? Are they American citizens? You imply that they are. Or do you apply the same standard that the New York Times applies - calls to foreign countries are "domestic" when wiretapped. Let us be clear about who the parties are, before we decide what rights they may have. Foreign combatants do not have the same rights as our citizens.

Answer 8

Well at least our prisoners get to keep their heads.... and are not decapitated for not answering questions.

Unlike in most of the Muslim countries. We treat our prisoners 100% better than they will ever treat their prisoners. Torture or not.

Answer 9

Maybe you, and all the other bleeding hearts who want to protect these enemy combatants, should volunteer to take care of them at your home. You fools have no idea what kind of people you are protecting.

Answer 10

slight difference in wording: we do not torture prisoners HERE. nothing wrong with torturing "combatants" who claim no nation.