EU Condemns ‘Rendition’ Enablers

The European Parliament has condemned 14 member states for either ignoring or assisting the U.S. policy of “extraordinary rendition.” The report, which won approval by a wide margin, says the CIA carried out 1,245 flights of abducted suspects, sometimes to nations where the detainees could expect torture.

The 14 countries mentioned in the report are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Key excerpts from the report:

The European Parliament…

Denounces the lack of co-operation of many member states and of the Council of the European Union with the investigation;

Regrets that European countries have been relinquishing control over their airspace and airports by turning a blind eye or admitting flights operated by the CIA which, on some occasions, were being used for illegal transportation of detainees;

Calls for the closure of [the US military detention mission in] Guantanamo and for European countries immediately to seek the return of their citizens and residents who are being held illegally by the US authorities;

Considers that all European countries should initiate independent investigations into all stopovers by civilian aircraft [hired by] the CIA;

Urges that a ban or system of inspections be introduced for all CIA-operated aircraft known to have been involved in extraordinary rendition.

BBC:

The final version denounces the lack of co-operation of many EU member states and it condemns the actions of secret services and governments who accepted and concealed renditions.

It is unlikely, the report says, that European governments were unaware of rendition activities on their territory, something the British government, among others, has denied.

“This is a report that doesn’t allow anyone to look the other way. We must be vigilant that what has been happening in the past five years may never happen again,” said Italian Socialist Giovanni Fava, who drafted the document.

The parliament also called for an “independent inquiry” to be considered and for closure of the US’ Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

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