Washington Post Exposes CIA “Extraordinary Renditions”
The Washington Post exposed on this day the CIA “extraordinary renditions,” a previously secret program in which the CIA kidnapped alleged terrorist suspects from around the world and transported them to secret prisons, where they were interrogated and in some cases tortured.
Initially, suspects were transferred to cooperating countries (primarily Egypt), where they were detained and tortured. When the number of renditions grew, however, the CIA created its own network of secret prisons around the world. Several existed in European countries, with the secret cooperation of their governments.
The practice of extraordinary renditions began in the 1990s and was used sparingly by President Bill Clinton. It was greatly expanded by President George W. Bush after 9/11 as part of the war on terror.
On February 14, 2007, the European Parliament condemned the Bush administration’s extraordinary rendition program.
Learn more: Stephen Grey, Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA Torture Program (2006)
Watch a documentary on extraordinary rendition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMln8hcw4gw
Read: Jane Mayer, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals (2008)