In the Associated Press story by Liz Sidoti on the Bush White House acceptance of US Senator John
McCain's Ban On Torture; the agreement to language on such a ban and interrogation standards woefully
does not address the practice of "Rendition"! In the AP article posted this afternoon "Bush said that the
ban and accompanying interrogation standards will ' make it clear to the world that this government does
not torture.....' "
Secretary of State Condolezza Rice " During a trip to Europe last week, was pressed repeatedly on the
topic, finally saying that ' as a matter of U.S. Policy, such treatment was banned for U.S. personnel wherever
they are ."
You will notice in both cases, the quotes from the Administration address that the government or U.S.
personnel do not torture. The allows a holland tunnel size exception in the case of the practice of
"Rendition". This practice is the widely recognized, but never admitted practice of rendering a prisoner
or detainee for interrogation to a foreign agency for what might well be practices that we ourselves
cannot do! In granting CIA operatives the same exemptions and defenses that U.S. Military Personnel
are given, also would not technically cover the acts of foreign nationals or operatives recruited by our
Intelligence Agencies in the field but not employees of, nor classified as U.S. personnel.
At the end of the Day a detainee could be subjected to sensory deprivation, water torture, lack of
sleep or other physically damaging treatment along with all the catalog of psychological deprivations
that the United Nations, Amnesty International, or Human Rights Watch consider as torture and not
be in violation of this current panacea for the damaged reputation of our country around the world.
Until Rendition is addressed and repudiated the posturing of the current administration on human rights,
the Geneva Convention, and the treatment of "Confined Prisoners of Interest" will be just so much
smoke and mirrors.
McCain's Ban On Torture; the agreement to language on such a ban and interrogation standards woefully
does not address the practice of "Rendition"! In the AP article posted this afternoon "Bush said that the
ban and accompanying interrogation standards will ' make it clear to the world that this government does
not torture.....' "
Secretary of State Condolezza Rice " During a trip to Europe last week, was pressed repeatedly on the
topic, finally saying that ' as a matter of U.S. Policy, such treatment was banned for U.S. personnel wherever
they are ."
You will notice in both cases, the quotes from the Administration address that the government or U.S.
personnel do not torture. The allows a holland tunnel size exception in the case of the practice of
"Rendition". This practice is the widely recognized, but never admitted practice of rendering a prisoner
or detainee for interrogation to a foreign agency for what might well be practices that we ourselves
cannot do! In granting CIA operatives the same exemptions and defenses that U.S. Military Personnel
are given, also would not technically cover the acts of foreign nationals or operatives recruited by our
Intelligence Agencies in the field but not employees of, nor classified as U.S. personnel.
At the end of the Day a detainee could be subjected to sensory deprivation, water torture, lack of
sleep or other physically damaging treatment along with all the catalog of psychological deprivations
that the United Nations, Amnesty International, or Human Rights Watch consider as torture and not
be in violation of this current panacea for the damaged reputation of our country around the world.
Until Rendition is addressed and repudiated the posturing of the current administration on human rights,
the Geneva Convention, and the treatment of "Confined Prisoners of Interest" will be just so much
smoke and mirrors.
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