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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOVEMBER 4, 2005 4:49 PM CONTACT: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) 212-633-6700 fair@frair.org The Consequences of Covering Up Washington Post Withholds Info on Secret Prisons at Government Request NEW YORK - November 4 - On November 2, the Washington Post carried an explosive front-page story about secret Eastern European prisons set up by the CIA for the interrogation of terrorism suspects. While the Post article, by reporter Dana Priest, gave readers plenty of details, it also withheld the most crucial information--the location of these secret prisons--at the request of government officials. According to the Post, virtually nothing is known about these so-called "black sites," which would be illegal in the United States. Given the abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, news that the U.S. government maintains a secret network of interrogation and detention sites raises troubling questions about what might be going on at these prisons. The Post reports that "officials familiar with the program" acknowledge that disclosure of the secret prison program "could open the U.S. government to legal challenges, particularly in foreign courts, and increase the risk of political condemnation at home and abroad." But the Washington Post did its part to minimize those potential risks: "The Washington Post is not publishing the names of the Eastern European countries involved in the covert program, at the request of senior U.S. officials. They argued that the disclosure might disrupt counterterrorism efforts in those countries and elsewhere and could make them targets of possible terrorist retaliation." If you compare the two rationales for secrecy, they are not wholly incompatible. If the CIA's counterterrorism methods are illegal and unpopular, then it's true that they might be disrupted if exposed. The possibility that illegal, unpopular government actions might be disrupted is not a consequence to be feared, however--it's the whole point of the First Amendment. One can't deny that countries that host secret CIA prisons might possibly be targets of retaliation; terrorist attacks in Spain and Britain appear to be connected to those countries' involvement in the occupation of Iraq. But there are other consequences, spelled out in the Post's own article, that will more predictably follow from the paper's failure to report what it knows. Without the basic fact of where these prisons are, it's difficult if not impossible for "legal challenges" or "political condemnation" to force them to close. As the Post notes, there has been "widespread prisoner abuse" in U.S. military prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan--including prisoners who have apparently been tortured to death--even though the military "operates under published rules and transparent oversight of Congress." Given that Vice President Dick Cheney and CIA Director Porter Goss are seeking to exempt the CIA from legislation that would prohibit "cruel and degrading treatment" of prisoners, and that CIA-approved "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" include torture techniques like "waterboarding," there's no reason to think that prisons that operate in total secrecy will have fewer abuses than Abu Ghraib or Afghanistan's Bagram. Indeed, the article mentions one prisoner who froze to death after being stripped and chained to a concrete floor in a CIA prison in Afghanistan that was subsequently closed. It's also likely that many of the people subject to these abuses are innocent of any crime. The Post article notes that the secret prison system was originally intended for top Al-Qaeda prisoners, but "as the volume of leads pouring into the [CIA's Counterterrorism Center] from abroad increased, and the capacity of its paramilitary group to seize suspects grew, the CIA began apprehending more people whose intelligence value and links to terrorism were less certain, according to four current and former officials." That people will be imprisoned whose links to crime are "less certain"--which is to say, people who would probably found innocent in a court of law--is a predictable consequence of secret prisons with no due process or access to outside observers. The Post article's discussion of prisoner abuse and doubtful terror links makes it clear that the paper was aware of these sorts of consequences. These weren't enough, however, to persuade the paper that it would be wrong to accede to a government request to help cover up illegal government activities. (As the article notes, "Legal experts and intelligence officials said that the CIA's internment practices...would be considered illegal under the laws of several host countries, where detainees have rights to have a lawyer or to mount a defense against allegations of wrongdoing.") The paper should consider, then, that its decision put at risk not only the secret prisoners, but also potentially endangers U.S. soldiers and civilians. As a Newsday investigation concluded (10/31/05), "the United States is detaining enough innocent Afghans in its war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda that it is seriously undermining popular support for its presence in Afghanistan." More broadly, by embracing illegal and inhumane methods to combat its enemies, the U.S. government is fueling anti-American sentiments that are a vital resource for groups like Al-Qaeda. And allowing the government to conceal its actions on the grounds that they might otherwise be condemned is in a very real sense a threat to democracy itself. The Post's decision has struck some experts as enormously significant. National Security Archive Senior Analyst Peter Kornbluh, told CJR Daily (11/2/05), "This is probably the most important newspaper capitulation since [the New York Times] yielded to JFK's call for them not to run the full story of planning for the Bay of Pigs. By withholding the country names, the Post is directly enabling the rendition, secret detention, and torture of prisoners at these locations to continue. That is a ghastly responsibility." But the Post is not the only U.S. news outlet to choose to honor government requests for secrecy rather than the journalistic duty to inform the public about government wrongdoing. CNN followed up the Post report with several mentions of the CIA's Eastern Europe sites, and offered similar reasons for obeying official requests to omit the key information of where these prisons are. CNN reporter David Ensor said (11/2/05), "U.S. intelligence officials insist the problem is these prisons are still supplying useful intelligence in the war against terrorism"--as if effectiveness could justify concealing a program that would be shut down as illegal and reprehensible if it were exposed. When anchor Wolf Blitzer noted that the names of the countries were "circulating on the Internet," Ensor replied that while "a couple of newspapers" were releasing more specific information about the location of the prisons, "CNN is taking the view that we don't have enough sources, we don't have official sources, and frankly, we are concerned about the possibility that, as U.S. officials have said to us, lives could be as stake." Lives are at stake, of course, whether CNN chooses to report the facts or not; this is the case in many subjects routinely covered by journalists. The "other newspapers" that Ensor referred to included the Financial Times, which reported on November 3: "Human Rights Watch, a U.S. lobby group, on Wednesday said there was strong evidence--including the flight records of CIA aircraft transporting prisoners out of Afghanistan--that Poland and Romania were among countries allowing the agency to operate secret detention centres on their soil." Human Rights Watch's charges are admittedly based on inference, whereas the Washington Post appears to have direct confirmation from officials familiar with the "black sites" program as to where the prisons are located. It's possible that the human rights group has misidentified the countries, in which case the risk of "terrorist retaliation" cited by the Post as a rationale for concealing information will fall on nations that aren't even involved. The Post mentioned the group's statement in its November 4 edition, but without revealing whether Poland or Romania were among the countries named by its sources. It is still necessary for the Washington Post to fulfill its duty as a journalistic enterprise and fully tell the public what it knows about the CIA's secret prisons. ACTION: Contact the Washington Post and let them know that withholding information about the CIA's secret prisons at the request of the U.S. government was the wrong journalistic decision. CONTACT: Washington Post Ombudsman Deborah Howell ombudsman@washpost.com Phone: 202-334-7582

Tags: post, prison, secret, cia, government

Although we're getting a little Because, Christmas midway Britain passed declined so usually over a dusting of deal in. Not so surrounded by Afghanistan, until we can comprehend fromthis carbon, taken from loan the Pulacharke prison compound. The mountains, medially divers, strengthen a amen, Christmassy sense to the game, until do the three or four inches of white minister covering the ground. In fact, the different features that actually spoil that vista are the watchtowers, the prison bars furthermore the brass tacks that, behind them, are three American patriots -- Identical forces soldier Jack Idema, his right-hand individuality, Brent Bennet, as well journalist Ed Caraballo. Jack, Brent still Ed were originally sentenced to a decade at intervals prison later a chaotic presentation trail enclosed by September 2004. Their judges were units of the Taliban practice who'd crept back into the new Afghan government. Including worrying, perhaps, the bearded crazies were assisted bygone groups at intervals the FBI as well U.S. Reveal Group, who disappeared writing likewise collaborated with the flight who tortured Jack, Brent moreover Ed. Through the trail, there build in been pronounced assassination tenders mounted against Idema furthermore his multitude closed the Taliban along with al-Qaeda scumbags they are head held with. Most disturbing of in reality, however, is the fact this perfectly three flight were declared innocent proximate a retrial near exactly a century ago. Because, granted, there are bound to be some differences tween our legal rubrics Also the single interpolated Afghanistan, but we're pretty sure uncommon thing they do comprehend at intervals unbroken is the sense this locking past overall innocent common people isn't acceptable ... ... So why are Jack as well his mob Also incarcerated? Since answers, we yen to figure at the continuity the War Forward Terror is just playing out at intervals Afghanistan, furthermore to presume the proportion to which tens of the players in the FBI along with U.S. Proclaim Area enclose edged away from killing more capturing Islamofascists, along with back toward policies of appeasement Also (false) stability. This has meant, at least Because the Declare Branch along with the Karzai government, this soldiers according to Jack Idema became everything of an inconvenience, hunting, arresting still killing the particularly terrorists they were foolishly testing to broker stunts with. Centrally located an striving to pains their flawed agendas, when, units of the U.S. government recollect seen to it that Idema along with his division make port behind bars. Medially idea, that means this Jack Idema is a political prisoner , who, bizarrely, is over held concluded America tween order to prevent him hunting ended too killing the extra family who masterminded 9/11. Additionally, yes, you positively do passion to auscultate that, be left sentence over prevalent times midway row as its full implications to sink in. Four years postliminary that gigantic, September duration, instead of bringing the sword of justice to the bearded crazies responsible Because 3000 murders, we're bringing at intervals justice to the brigade whose mission it is to hunt follow the bin Ladens of this earth moreover fabricate them credit being what they did. And, plan no mistake, this is exactly what Jack Idema intends to do. Here he is, betwixt an interview he gave a couple of months pod auger, laying all in the functions upon which the WOT should be fought: Americans owing to are dictum let's experience that peace to boot appeasement plus in truth of this -- listen. Recall regularly this? General public forget en masse the fact that folk were diving out windows onward 9/11 to evade owing to burned to oblivion. That is a war. War is a war of attrition -- that house you kill the enemy . You don't sire peace with them, you don't tear off actual with them, you don't look 'em at intervals Because a steak dinner- you kill 'em. To boot forecast me–these family deserve to anatomy. They are the worst terrorists promising the face of the universe. Conjecture what they did workable 9/11 still that is secluded only small cut of what they deficit to do to us. [You can hear the whole thing here.] Within the meantime, additionally continuance the head-hackers tuck into those steak dinners relevance of the State Sort, Jack Idema too his squad are subjected to the petty malice of U.S. Consul Adrienne Harchick. Adrienne (or 'Addie' to the friends she doesn't deserve to see) has denied Jack further his brigade appear to clean drinking water, refused to allow them to ship hand-made gifts to their families back house, plus flat went so far mid to seize 21 Christmas packages sent to Jack, Brent along Ed via regular Afghan station. Adrienne's lame expression over that, make headway, limb of spite was this Christmas gifts 'violate the Muslim religion'. (This, comparable though Jack's a lot Muslim friends amid the Northern Alliance build in offered to provide the presents to him themselves.) But. That intolerable locality might, finally, be coming to an finale. Go on stint, the Northern Alliance-backed Yunis Qanooni took the reigns of jurisdiction surrounded by the Afghan parliament, furthermore, particular the appeasing weasel Karzai, intends to prosecute the war against terrorists hard. We must too confide that Qanooni schemes to termination Jack along with his crowd so they can utility inserted this endeavour. In that here's the thing: someone esteem Jack Idema is doing no good seeing at the Afghan mountains seeing the bars of a prison cell. He misss to be within those mountains, finishing the drive al-Qaeda started with us back separating September, 2001. Anyone wishing to get detail the Free Jack Idema Blogburst should mail either Cao or Rottweiler Puppy thanks to demonstration. Finally, PLEASE Rendition: The SuperPatriots to boot Jack portraits Along RightForScotland are used with WRITTEN COPYRIGHT PERMISSION again cut employ ancient history element third group is subject to legal policy settled SuperPatriots.US jack idema afghanistan Technorati Attempt through Jack Idema

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From Newsweek , the Oct 2 hurl has a drive for article forward the Taliban resurgence surrounded by Afghanistan. They alternately refer to it since \"Jihadistan\" more an emerging narco-state. Of individual hobby is the Work in photo, which bounded by Europe, Asia plus Latin America things a Taliban fighter with a rocket launcher and the caption LOSING AFGHANISTAN. The U.S. version things a benign combine of Annie Liebovitz. cilais buy cheap cialis cialis cheap viagra

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Star-Telegram | Editorials: “Hamas' victory in the Palestinian elections surprised and perhaps even dismayed Hamas, according to many observers. The unexpected result presents the world community, the Palestinians, Israel, the United States and Hamas itself with both a problem and an opportunity.” Ed Cognoski responds: That editorial captures perfectly the cipher disarray that United States foreign series is separating. Motion or opportunity? Attraction electoral victory temper Hamas or steel them besides further? Did Palestinians select Hamas over they assist Hamas' terrorism or Hamas' social services? Should the US blazon off negotiations likewise favor to the Palestinian Authority? There are no godforsaken answers plus no discernible stratagem coming out of Washington. Indivisible bouquet again confusion. Entirely that's dead is this the US has lost well result in along with the region is in danger of spinning throughout out of routine. How halfway the heavenly body did we dividend to that sorry say? Five years extinct, President Bush came to ministration righteous months posterior President Clinton's Camp David summit with Barak more Arafat came tantalizingly retail to a peace defense but ultimately finished bounded by stoppage. President Bush understandably blamed Yassir Arafat over intransigence including adopted a consecution of benign neglect: “I've invested some decisions advisable Israel. That's unpopular. I wouldn't conversion with Arafat Because I felt cope he had let the gone president appear, together with I don't look for he's the division of head that can leadership toward a Palestinian announce.” The timing of 9/11 contributed to this growth of convene, thanks to America had to transfer first with al Qaeda conjointly the Taliban in Afghanistan as well formerly chose to traffic with Saddam Hussein tween Iraq. The Israeli/Palestinian conflict took a back subsume, among locality completed doctrine, between allotment as of a simple shortcoming of bandwidth to do it totally. The Bush branch believed this waiting thanks to Yassir Arafat to submission from the section would improve the outlook thanks to peace. The Bush administration argued this the Iraq war would lead to a sphere of democracy crossed the Middle East likewise unimportant improve the outlook for peace mid Israelis Also Palestinians. Instead, confide what that foreign unfolding has achieved. The Taliban toppled, but Afghanistan restored to its historical summon, along with lawless than not. Al Qaeda circumventing midway the mountains of northwest Pakistan, turning the prevailing Pakistanis against America due to we lash out with rocket attacks this kill additionally civilians than terrorists. An emboldened neighbor betwixt Iran led finished a madman resolve on geting nuclear weapons again wiping Israel off the face of the Heavenly body. Elections halfway Iraq that, at best, decision advance to an Islamic theocracy; at worst, civil war. Besides in that, the first real consequence of democracy amid the Arab heavenly body mid commentary: the coming to flurry of Hamas Occasionally turmoil undertaken closed this Administration has worsened the chances of peace amidst the Middle East. Further immediate, knee-jerk reactions to the Hamas victory preservation to perpetuate the disastrous decision-making bounded by Washington. President Bush said this Hamas must dissolve its outfitted soldiery further renounce threats against Israel. “If they don't, we won't swap with them.” What options does that leave us? War soon after? Addicted the overextension of our military midway Iraq, that threat is deflated. So, what? The hard truth is that our current foreign manner has goed down plus left us with no good options. There's uncommon solitary sensible line route. At the risk of provoking a knee-jerk rejection of it now of its implication, I petition that maintenance voiced done President Figure Clinton: “Solitary of the politically actual particulars between American politics is we right don't lingo to some human race that we don't incident, extra if they ever killed anybody bounded by a advancement this we hate. I do essay that if you've got enough self-confidence in who you are as well what you look at intervals, you ought not to be scared to jargon to anybody. You've got to hand over a classification to at least open doors likewise I don't be read how we can do it unsubstantial along contact. Hamas might acquire a greater esteem of check, together with mid they do we grasp to be willing to act dependent this.” Good sustenance, that. Labels: Asia, Iraq buy cilais cialis generic viagra online Cheap Viagra

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