Misblog

Originally Published February 16, 2007; Last Updated February 01, 2010; LastRepublished February 01, 2010:

Italian judge orders 26 United States citizens, most CIA officers alleged to have participated in the illegal rendition of Egyptian cleric Osama Mustafa Hassan (aka Abu Omar) from Milan, Italy in 2003, to stand trial.

Those authorizing or participating in the Bush administration's King Bush the Idiot's illegal rendition program must be held fully and completely accountable.¹

To this end those United States citizens ordered to stand trial in Italy must do so, unless, acceptable arrangements are made for them to be held fully and completely accountable in an alternative forum.

Web:

• UPDATED 02/01/2010 Reuters, Italy's secret service knew of CIA rendition: judge.

• UPDATED 11/04/2009 NYT, Italy Convicts 23 Americans for C.I.A. Renditions.

  Unfortunately our government has chosen not to honor the extradition (a form of rendition as opposed to extraordinary rendition) of these CIA officers and is unlikely to honor their convictions.

  Nevertheless, this does not mean that the community of nations should not continue to demand accountability from our government for its usage of all extraordinary renditions².

• UPDATED 05/15/2009 NYT, Woman in Rendition Case Sues for Immunity.

• UPDATED 03/18/2009 UPI, Rendition trial in Milan suspended .

  This follows the March 2009 report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur Martin Scheinin urging States to investigate their incidents of extraordinary renditions, torture, disappearances, secret detentions or any other serious human rights violation:

  "72. The Special Rapporteur [Martin Scheinin] urges all relevant authorities of countries that have allegedly participated in extraordinary renditions, torture, disappearances, secret detentions or any other serious human rights violation to investigate fully any wrongful acts of intelligence agencies committed on their territory. States must ensure that the victims of such unlawful acts are rehabilitated and compensated. States must also stop transferring anyone to the custody of the agents of another State, or facilitating such transfers, unless the transfer is carried out under judicial supervision and in line with international standards."--Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, February 04, 2009--

  You can read a short summary of some provision at Enduring America Blog or download a the entire report from the UK Guardian site (pdf).

• UPDATED 09/27/2008 WP, Top Officials Knew in 2002 of Harsh Interrogations. Top officials in King Bush the Idiot's reign begin confessing to authorizing torture.
• UPDATED 09/24/2008 Rice testimony sought at Italy CIA trial

-----notes-----

1. In order to hold those who may have engaged in the torture of rendered persons accountable, portions of the The Military Commissions Act 2006 (aka In Torture We Trust Act of 2006 and America The Torturer Act of 2006) have to be repealed.

We need to repeal the entire America The Torturer Act of 2006. It is a poorly thought out response which sacrifices our well thought out standards of justice in the name of Ashcroft and Bush expediency.

UPDATED 09/27/2008 Accountability must extend to contractors who participated in either extraordinary renditions or interrogations resulting in torture. (see Ghost Plane on out-sourcing extraordinary renditions and Spies for Hire on out-sourcing intelligence and interrogations, both informative books.)

2. Any rendition which does not immediately register, present, and continuously track an in custody person in accordance with the rule-of-law, laws-of-war, and internationally recognized, conventions, customs, and procedures.

If our CIA officers or military or law enforcement are in possession of an individual it must be for the purpose of immediately complying with the above. Not for transport to any torture and interrogation center or any other location however brief the delay.

If our president authorizes an extraordinary rendition, regardless of the asserted justification the president must immediately resign or otherwise be removed from office.