Posted on 12/04/2005 6:03:35 PM PST by blam
Rice to claim Euro backing for CIA prisons
By Alec Russell in Washington and Kate Connolly in Berlin
(Filed: 05/12/2005)
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, will vigorously defend America's fight against terrorism when she arrives in Europe today amid uproar over reports of terrorist suspects being held in secret CIA prisons.
In the most heated transatlantic row in a year, European politicians and the media have expressed outrage over claims that the suspects are in custody in so-called "black sites" in eastern Europe.
Condoleezza Rice faces a difficult public relations exercise
Revelations that the CIA has used European bases and airspace for hundreds of clandestine flights have only fuelled the row.
The Bush administration, however, made clear yesterday that Miss Rice will take on America's critics when she responds to an EU request for "clarification" to "allay parliamentary and public concerns".
While she is not expected to confirm or deny the existence of the sites, she will suggest that anything the CIA does has the approval of host governments.
Stung by what many US officials see as a two-faced approach by some allies, she will also call on European governments to argue more forcefully with their own citizens that co-operation with the CIA is vital for their security.
In a preview of her trip, Stephen Hadley, Miss Rice's successor as President George W Bush's national security adviser, said: "There is a lot of co-operation at a lot of levels.
"One of the things she will be saying is: 'Look, we are all threatened by terror'," he told Fox News. "We need to co-operate in its solution."
The administration has long argued that its actions in the fight against terrorism comply with the US constitution, US law and US treaty obligations, claims challenged by human rights groups.
But since the publication in the Washington Post of the report about the CIA prisons, the administration has faced a new difficulty: European officials have argued that secret CIA prisons would violate European law.
Mr Hadley foreshadowed Miss Rice's riposte, saying: "We respect the sovereignty of those countries with whom we co-operate."
This is seen as diplomatic code for saying that anything the CIA gets up to in Europe is done with the permission of the host country.
Miss Rice's five-day trip, which starts in Germany, poses her most difficult public relations challenge since she became America's chief diplomat in January and sought to improve transatlantic relations.
It is also highly sensitive for Chancellor Angela Merkel. The visit was meant to mark the start of a new era of dialogue between the Bush administration and Berlin after the rift over Iraq.
But Mrs Merkel's new government is fearful that the uproar could derail attempts to get relations back on an even footing. It is also nervous that the controversy will provoke unwanted debate at home about US military bases in Germany.
Adding to its domestic embarrassment, it confirmed yesterday that it had a list of 437 secret flights operated by the CIA in German air space.
The list, seen by Spiegel magazine, details CIA flights since 2002. The most intense period covers 2002 to 2003 during which two private planes are reported to have either used German airspace or landed at German airports a total of 283 times.
It is alleged that the flights were used to carry so-called "ghost detainees" or suspected terrorists to secret prisons.
Is this why we haven't been attacked again since 9-11?
This passes as jounalism?
Its all speculation and inuendo
Which section at the CIA leaked this?
The section in charge of leaking?
The more the press plays up the "secret prison" story, teh better.
It will show (once again) that the Dems and those who protest them are terrorist rightswackos.
Probably a democrat senator on the intell committee -- I vote for Rocky....this is all in keeping with his memo, to use intelligence informaiton to undermine the war on terror.
How about if the CIA were to turn them all loose?
I'm thinking, from about 35,000 feet?
I think it would be great if the whole secret prison story was really a sting operation to target CIA leaks.
35,000 feet underwater? ;)
Initial reaction to 3rd sentence:
Who cares?
These idiots get outraged over the most innane things.
I mean, honestly, who gives a crap if the Australians or whoever has some prison in Kansas if they get in a war with Indonesia or somewhere else? I say good for them. Glad to have been able to help out.
"Which section at the CIA leaked this?"
"The section in charge of leaking?"
When is Porter Goss going to ferret those snitches out and hang them up in front of the whole country?
Whoever leaked this fits under Tom Delays "enemies foriegn and DOMESTIC" find out who it was and charge them with it and the damage it does to national security.
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