Debunking the Debunking on Rendition

Together, ACLU attorneys Ben Wizner and Steven Watt represent six plaintiffs in two cases against the CIA’s practice of extraordinary rendition. So they know a thing or two about the practice.

So when they read “5 Myths About Rendition (and That New Movie)” by Daniel Benjamin, an article that purports to debunk myths about rendition in The Washington Post, they found some of that debunking required debunking itself. Their letter to the editor was published today:

Mr. Benjamin conflated “rendition to justice” – the extrajudicial transfer of terrorism suspects to countries where they face prosecution – with “extraordinary rendition,” a program with precisely the opposite goal: the apprehension and transfer of terrorism suspects to secret overseas detention and interrogation facilities where, the administration maintains, the protections of U.S. and international law do not apply.

You can read the full letter here. To learn more about extraordinary rendition, and watch Ben interview Gavin Hood, the director of the film Rendition, go to www.aclu.org/rendition.