Truthdig - Ear to the Ground - Britain to Investigate ‘CIA Black Site’

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Britain to Investigate ‘CIA Black Site’

guardian.co.uk

The British government’s Foreign Affairs Committee will look into charges by a number of sources, including human rights groups and a retired U.S. general, that sovereign British territory has been used as a CIA “black site” prison. The island of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, has been leased to the United States and is the site of an American military base but remains British territory.

It wouldn’t be the first time Diego Garcia has witnessed the abuse of human dignity at the hands of an imperial power. The island was uninhabited until the French took slaves there. Centuries later, thousands of the island’s residents were forcibly removed to make way for an American military base.

In addition to being accused of detaining prisoners on the island, which is known to have a prison facility, the United States is also said to have secretly held prisoners on ships in the Indian Ocean, an idea remarkably similar to a recent plot element of the popular and semi-conservative TV show “The Unit.”

Guardian:

Allegations that the CIA held al-Qaida suspects for interrogation at a secret prison on sovereign British territory are to be investigated by MPs, the Guardian has learned. The all-party foreign affairs committee is to examine long-standing suspicions that the agency has operated one of its so-called “black site” prisons on Diego Garcia, the British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean that is home to a large US military base.

Lawyers from Reprieve, a legal charity that represents a number of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, including several former British residents, are calling on the committee to question US and British officials about the allegations. According to the organisation’s submission to the committee, the UK government is “potentially systematically complicit in the most serious crimes against humanity of disappearance, torture and prolonged incommunicado detention”.

Clive Stafford Smith, the charity’s legal director, said he was “absolutely and categorically certain” that prisoners have been held on the island. “If the foreign affairs committee approaches this thoroughly, they will get to the bottom of it,” he said.

Read more

TAGS: abuse black site british cia detainees diego garcia human rights interrogation military prison secret torture uk

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By Marianne Hartrick, October 22, 2007 at 4:16 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

Oh please, thomas billis, have you read Mr. Jerry’s comments? After all, he was stationed on Diego Garcia. Were you? Have you ever visited the island and in what capacity? No, I haven’t been to the island, however, how far into the sand does one bury their head? Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Mazzerati

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By cyrena, October 22, 2007 at 1:19 am #
(4164 comments total)

#108567 by Mister Jerry on 10/20 at 9:44 pm
• I used to be stationed on that damn island back in 1994-95 and even then, there were “places” to detain prisoners, if necessary. By the way, that photo only the very western side of island, where the runway is at. There’s a lot more to that place that wasn’t shown.
Mr. Jerry,

Thanks for confirming this. It’s always helpful, (at least for me) to know of someone who can “verify” what we always suspect, but can’t always ‘confirm’ with our own eyes. Makes me wonder if this, (among all of the other places they use on the globe) could be where they put our passengers and crews from 9/11. Or, at least the ones we KNOW didn’t die at the Pentagon, or in a field in Shanksville, PA.

#108463 by mary
Mary,

Nothing wrong with optimism. It’s the only thing that keeps us putting one foot in front of the other everyday, (at least on the days that we can). On the other hand, it’s been 7 years, and it’s been 10 plus months since we thought we might have turned the tide. It hasn’t happened. At least not from THOSE IN POWER.

So, keep the optimism, but just keep the reality at hand as well. We might have to be ‘the ones in power’ even though we aren’t.

#108413 by Waxman

Waxman, are you hanging out with ‘sober george”?

To all,

Check out this link for Oct 27. Nothing beats a try but a failure. (at least that’s what my grandma used to say)

http://www.oct27.org

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By Mister Jerry, October 20, 2007 at 9:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

I used to be stationed on that damn island back in 1994-95 and even then, there were “places” to detain prisoners, if necessary. By the way, that photo only the very western side of island, where the runway is at. There’s a lot more to that place that wasn’t shown.

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By DennisD, October 20, 2007 at 8:51 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

A waste of pixels. Anyone want to guess the results of the “investigation”.

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By PatrickHenry, October 20, 2007 at 7:17 am #
(1112 comments total)

With the money we “rent” this base for we could sent a couple of thousand students through a 4 year college every year.

Money better spent.

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By mary, October 20, 2007 at 7:00 am #
(197 comments total)

I quess I’m just an optimist, I’m still hoping those with the power will do the right thing soon. Of course I know Thomas Billis #108377 is probably right....

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By Douglas Chalmers, October 20, 2007 at 2:08 am #
(2932 comments total)

#108412 by Outraged on 10/19 at 10:36 pm: “...I believe the author of the linked article...... You’re slipping....yes, it can be a slippery slope....”

I had referred to the introductory commentary of Truthdig’s, Outraged. You know that.... but you’re slipping....yes, it can be a slippery slope....

Pity that’s all you can say about a military operational centrepiece of the forthcoming(?) WW3, uhh.

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By waxman, October 19, 2007 at 10:41 pm #
(210 comments total)

THIS IS ALL A BIG LIE...SOME LIB IN HOLLYWOOD DESIGNED THIS ON A SET...THOSE LYING BASTARDS(LIBS) WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE SOBER PREZ BUSH LOOK BAD...NEXT THEY WILL TELL US THEY REALLY LANDED ON THE MOON..HOW DARE THEY KEEP LYING TO OUR FLOCK…

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By Outraged, October 19, 2007 at 10:36 pm #
(869 comments total)

RE: #108409 by Douglas Chalmers on 10/19

Douglas Chalmers,

I believe the author of the linked article is:

Ian Cobain and Richard Norton-Taylor
Friday October 19, 2007
The Guardian

You’re slipping....yes, it can be a slippery slope. Must be that tension that comes from knowing illegalities might be exposed. You wouldn’t happen to be “involved”, would you?

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By Douglas Chalmers, October 19, 2007 at 10:25 pm #
(2932 comments total)

Pity that the unnamed author (Scheer?) has diminished abuse of human rights to merely “...the abuse of human dignity...”, uhh!

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By thomas billis, October 19, 2007 at 5:49 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

O please.Since they are the landlord why not go to the place unannounced and make an inspection.This wink wink nudge nudge approach is fooling no one.We are coming we are really coming no kidding we are coming soon.No time to move the prisoners and clean the place up.Here I will write the findings report.No proof has been found that the Americans have used the base as a black prison site and we are fully satisfied that we have had the full cooperation of the American government.We did find some Arabic writing on the walls in blood that said in essence “holy shit they are going to kill us”.But this commission has determined it was written by Diego Garcia who was known to know many languages.

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