The deals behind secret prisons

BBC's Dispatches did an in-depth report on the no-longer-secret 'rendition' operations conducted by the CIA around the world. Acting in cooperation with allied authorities around the world, the agency has conspired to kidnap individuals and 'render' them to prison facilities where they can be tortured, detained, and murdered outside the public eye. In some cases, entire communities are moved and detained in prison camps, but they appear to be the exception.

Let's start back when the story was first unraveling. Agents were found to have taken many people accused of terrorism on international flights, without any legal authority. Who needs a judge when you have the air traffic controllers? My point in raising this issue is not to dredge up the results of previous investigations. We know the kidnappings were illegal, and like Guantanamo - nobody cares.

The critical conclusion which the public is too afraid to face is that terrorism has effectively replaced religion as the world's most unquestionable truth. Putting aside Noam Chomsky's observation about who the historical purveyors of state-sponsored terrorism are... yes even putting that aside we still must conclude that CIA rendition ops represent a new breed of terror exports.

Factor 1: the US intelligence/military machine has surplus capacity. We can't simply unleash its full power on the world because US interests do not demand it.

Factor 2: Western authorities have little to offer in political negotiations besides their quiet cooperation.

Factor 3: oppressive foreign governments lack the sophistication to safely extend their power into civilized corners of the world where rule of law exists.

Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia (not to mention our African allies) do not have the public credibility to kidnap people under the name of counter-terrorism. They cannot intimidate their political opponents across international borders. In simple political economy terms, there is a deal to be made here between authorities. Imagine CIA agents debarking a private jet with their prisoner like tuxedo-clad deliverymen:
"Sign here please... and here. Enjoy your secret prisoner, and thank you for terrorizing with us. The president will be calling with our bill."

I'm tempted to leave you on that humorous note, but my conscience bids me sign off with a warning: the truth may not be palatable, but it's also not optional.*


*If you are a parent or teacher, you have a responsibility to nurture the questioning (and questing) of children. When you deny the truth to the young, when you ask them to accept truth on faith and authority, you condemn them to live as brutal beasts - protected by their own ignorance, yet barred from the salvation that only thinking people can receive.