Extraordinary Rendition
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Extraordinary rendition is an illegal practice that was used by the Bush administration as part of the so-called "war on terror." It involves the apprehension of foreign nationals suspected of involvement of terrorism and their subsequent clandestine transfer to detention in secret CIA-run "black site" prisons outside the United States or by foreign intelligence agencies in countries like Jordan, Syria, Egypt or Morocco, where they are held without charge or trial and interrogated without legal restraints. Once detained, these men experience unspeakable horrors – often kept in squalid conditions, many of them face interrogation under torture, including waterboarding, electrocutions, beatings, extreme isolation, and psychological torture.
"Our greatest tool in advancing democracy is our own example." -- Barack Obama, 3/2/2008
Within days of being sworn in, President Obama issued executive orders and directives repudiating the most egregious of the Bush administration's violations of U.S. and international law - including ordering the closure of the CIA's network of secret "black site" prisons and banning the use of torture, and cruel and inhumane interrogation techniques.
To date, no victim of the extraordinary rendition program has been granted their day in court, let alone been afforded any kind of redress for their injuries. Some are still detained. The Bush administration regularly misused the "states secrets" privilege in an attempt to avoid any kind of judicial oversight of the extraordinary rendition program, claiming that hearing the case in court would pose a threat to national security. But, in order to ensure that abuses of the Bush administration are not repeated, it is necessary that they not only be repudiated, but subjected to thorough and transparent investigation. Repairing the damage caused by the program's operation requires not simply a change in policy, but accountability of those involved and redress for its victims; this cannot be achieved through presidential order alone.
RESOURCES
New York Times Editorial: Unraveling Injustice (2/5/2009)
ACLU attorney Ben Wizner discusses rendition case with Glenn Greenwald on Salon Radio (1/30/2009)
Video / Report: FRONTLINE - Extraordinary Rendition (PBS, 11/6/2007)
Fact Sheet: AirCIA
Statement: Khaled El-Masri
Fact Sheet: Extraordinary Rendition
FAQ: The Convention Against Torture
Bisher al-Rawi Interview (UK Channel 4. 7/30/2007)
The C.I.A.'s Travel Agent (The New Yorker, 10/30/2006)