CIA Inspector General Reopens Khalid El-Masri Abduction

/in /by

The AP reports that, in addition to the grand jury investigation of Manadel al-Janabi’s death, the CIA Inspector General has reopened its investigation of Khalid el-Masri’s abduction.

Forgive me for my cynicism, but this investigation–and its public announcement–seems like yet another attempt to stave off European pressure on this front. The EU Parliament just called for investigations into the US’ violation of human rights under the GWOT.

Calls on the EU and Member States authorities, as well as the US authorities, to ensure that full, fair, effective, independent and impartial inquiries and investigations are carried out into human rights violations and crimes under international, European and national law, and to bring to justice those responsible, including in the framework of the CIA extraordinary renditions and secret prisons programme;

And as we’ve seen in the past, the US has pretty routinely launched “investigations” so as to give its European allies an excuse not to do an investigation. That’s what this feels like.

Again.

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  1. Deep Harm says:

    Based on my former federal employment, it is a “tradition” in U.S. administrative investigations to avoid putting the agency in danger of receiving any information or witness testimony that might conflict with the pre-determined outcome. As for documents in their own possession, just assume that most of that “accidentally” disappeared. But, now with the EU Parliament snooping around, those documents they avoided finding have huge potential to blindside them. So, then, they needed a second investigation as an excuse to go after the documents they should have gone after originally.

      • BoxTurtle says:

        The goal is preventing them from getting that far. ALL the EU governments want this to go away and quickly. But some of them foolishly permitted an independent judiciary and then did not carefully select their judges.

        Boxturtle (WE have an independent judiciary and look at how efficiently we made this irritation go away)

  2. tjbs says:

    Torture /Murder/ Treason really, what could go wrong.

    Doesn’t our Lily White God want us to murder others, if not torture them, truss them up or put them on ice ? Such a loving God.

    Those Godless Europeans just don’t understand religion like we do.

  3. DWBartoo says:

    Most of Washington’s European allies are probably relieved that Washington is going to look through its own dirty laundry, searching, thoroughly, diligently, and carefully for any … unequivocal … evidence of wrong-doings or hanky panky of the slightest sort, and even were there “ample” evidence of “stains”, of some inexplicable kind or another, to be “found”, it must be assumed that those “Western” allies would not be inclined to wish to peer too deeply into the mess, preferring it be dealt with “appropriately”, “frankly”, and “fully” … to the extent that nothing horribly embarassing might ever (or for so long as it “matters”) “leak” out and become common knowledge … later.

    Looking somewhat forward, there will be a great collective sigh of relief when all investigations show nothing, absolutely nothing, was ever done by (or to) anybody that matters … a few “bad apples”, surely, but the loss of moral compass and the “high ground” it surveys will be found not to be an issue at all.

    In fact, it will be said, as it was said (by Elihu Root, who was “Secretary of”, what was, then, simply termed, “War”) after the brutal assault (it was hardly a “war”) on the Phillipine islands (in the days when America’s Great Expire was early a-building): The endless war against terrorism “… has been conducted by the American” … Department of Defense …”with scrupulous regard for the rules of civilized warfare … and with self-restraint and with humanity never surpassed.”

    I sincerely hope to be proven completely and entirely wrong in my doubts.

    If America will not examine or consider what was done in its name, in defense of the principles it claims to uphold, then it shall keep on doing increasingly appalling and inhumane things … even in the “Homeland” … and it will not stop unless and until forced to do so … one way or another.

    There should be a genuine opportunity of truth and of justice before us.

    Let us see who is interested … and who is not.

    That will be, and describe, “our” real future, looking forward …

    DW

    • lysias says:

      That’s not the impression I got of our fighting in the Philippines from Mark Twain’s Autobiography.

      In fact, it will be said, as it was said (by Elihu Root, who was “Secretary of”, what was, then, simply termed, “War”) after the brutal assault (it was hardly a “war”) on the Phillipine islands (in the days when America’s Great Expire was early a-building): The endless war against terrorism “… has been conducted by the American” … Department of Defense …”with scrupulous regard for the rules of civilized warfare … and with self-restraint and with humanity never surpassed.”

  4. bmaz says:

    The most that will come from any of this is that they hang Swanner out to dry for al-Jamadi like they did Passaro. It is all kabuki theater to point to when the US demands the rest of the world to back off of any inquiries and threatens them if they do not.

  5. Mary says:

    There’s a reason Obama gave the CIA over a year wtih no IG at all, and it wasn’t so that a new one could come on board and do anything effective.

    Obama has never even bothered to fire the person who had them keep el-Masri, even after they knew they had the wrong guy.