Extraordinary Rendition

Unless you are a news junkie like me, you probably don't know what Extraordinary Rendition refers to.  It is the practice developed during the Bush years by the CIA, that involves flying suspected terrorists to other countries to torture them. 

The practice seems ridiculous to me.  It is yet another example of the desperate need to redefine the principles America stands for.  If we say we don't torture, then let's not torture.  Let's not find loopholes, like flying suspects to countries with lax torture laws.  Let's mean what we say.  If we tell the world that we don't torture, and expect  them to follow suit, let's actually set a good example.

The reason that this topic came up this morning is because a panel of judges just dismissed a lawsuit filed against Boeing for flying terror suspects around the world.  This case will likely make it to the Supreme Court.  It is definitely one to watch.

Challenge to CIA renditions dismissed
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9/24
Groups: Kenyan suspects secretly flown to Uganda

Apparently, terrorism breeds torture.

In response to the bombing of two sites in Uganda during the finals of the World Cup Soccer tournament this summer, Kenyan officials have forcefully arrested Muslims suspected of being involved.  These men have been hooded, and at times pounced upon, and beaten, before being flown to secret sites in Uganda for interrogations.

The U.S. government is not confirming allegations that FBI agents have been involved with these extraordinary renditions.  But, it is a known fact that the FBI has been assisting officials in every other aspect of the investigation, so there is no reason to doubt the stories creeping out that FBI agents are present, and even conducting these interrogations. 

Kenyan officials are siting a treaty between eastern African states as giving them the right to extradite these individuals to Uganda.  However, many people do not agree with this interpretation of the common market treaty, stating it does not give Kenya the right to ignore extradition laws.

Regardless of whether it can be proven that the U.S. is involved in these arrests and interrogations, the damage, in my mind, has already occurred.  Kenya, a fledgling democracy, is following the U.S.'s footsteps of ignoring the law when terrorism is involved.   It is actions like these that fuel the fire of hatred, and keep the battle raging.
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10/18
Spitzer interview with Alan Dershowitz on CNN

Alan Dershowitz has a unique view regarding torture.  Though he believes that it is morally wrong, he also realizes that the U.S. government is always going to use it as a "last resort."  The example he gave in his interview with Elliot Spitzer was that if there were a nuclear bomb somewhere in Hudson Bay, and a detained terrorist knew information that could prevent it's detonation, we would torture him to get it.

As a result of this realist approach to torture, Mr. Dershowitz proposes the creation of torture courts.  FBI and CIA agents would have to prove impending doom, on the scale of a nuclear attack, to receive a torture warrant.  Even then, the actual methods would be restricted so as to not kill the suspect.  This form of jurisprudence would allow for transparent torture practices.  According to Mr. Dershowitz, not enough evidence would have existed for the torture courts to issue warrants for the waterboardings that took place under the Bush administration. 

At first, this view may seem harsh.  But given the lengths our government went through to conceal the torture that took place following 9/11, I feel it is appropriate.  I am sure that we still don't know the whole truth about the inhumane acts that were carried out in the name of our national security.

Mr. Dershowitz is right.  There are certain situations that exist in which our government will in fact order the torturing of a human being for the purposes of extracting critical information.  Denying this fact is futile.  It is much better to face it, and regulate accordingly. 
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