Posted on 01/31/2007 5:14:36 AM PST by MARKUSPRIME
Germany has ordered the arrest of 13 suspected CIA agents over the alleged kidnapping of one of its citizens.
Munich prosecutors confirmed that the warrants were linked to the case of Khaled al-Masri, a German national of Lebanese descent.
Mr Masri says he was seized in Macedonia, flown to a secret prison in Afghanistan and mistreated there.
He says he was released in Albania five months later when the Americans realised they had the wrong man.
Mr Masri says his case is an example of the US policy of "extraordinary rendition" - a practice whereby the US government flies foreign terror suspects to third countries without judicial process for interrogation or detention.
Code names
Prosecutors in Munich said in a statement that the city's court had issued the warrants on suspicion of abduction and grievous bodily harm. The information on which the warrants was based came from Mr Masri's lawyers and a journalist and officials in Spain, where the flight carrying Mr Masri is thought to have originated.
"These findings, as well as other information uncovered in the probe, led to the strong suspicion that these 13 identifiable people were involved in the abduction of Masri," it said.
The names and nationalities concerned were not released but prosecutors said the names identified were thought to be the code names of CIA agents.
"The investigation will now focus on learning the actual names of the suspects," they said.
German arrest warrants are not valid in the US but if the suspects were to travel to the European Union they could be arrested.
Italian case
Mr Masri says he was abducted by US agents in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on 31 December 2003.
He is seeking to sue the US government over his detention, but in May a judge dismissed a lawsuit he filed against the CIA, citing national security considerations.
The US government is not assisting the German authorities with the case.
Meanwhile in the Italian city of Milan, court hearings to decide whether to indict 25 alleged CIA agents and several Italians accused of kidnapping a Muslim cleric in 2003 are under way.
Osama Mustafa Hassan, or Abu Omar, says he was abducted from the streets of Milan and then tortured in Egypt.
If the case proceeds to trial, it would be the first criminal prosecution over America's rendition policy.
The practice has drawn widespread criticism from human rights groups, legal experts and the international community.
But last week a European Parliament committee approved a report saying EU states knew about secret CIA flights over Europe, the abduction of terror suspects by US agents and the existence of clandestine detention camps.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120301476_pf.html
By the way, do you belive they will prosecute him for beating the teacher?
Hard to say. Only if the teacher wants it. It´ll probably end up with a fine or imprisonment on probation. No first-offender goes to prison except for serious crimes. Theft, battery or negligent murder are not "serious".
not serious? negligent murder?
Sure, because of the negligence. It´s not intentional - like killinge a sidewalker while you drive your care under influence of alcohol. The DUI was intentional, but not the killing.
That is what I simply can't understand about the German system. A person killed someone because of alcohol, yet because of this intentional act he is not getting properly punished for it. Just let him continue drinking since it is a Kavalierdelikt.
Oh well,it is your system.
Your job is to prove the real identity of CIA operatives and that they actually did what is alleged. It will never happen, you guys are not that smart.
But you do make nice cars, my old M5 is a dream machine.
It would be best if you stuck with building cars instead of building chemical aerosol sprayers for rogue states or worrying about some Islamic terror suspect. There is more to the story about this particular subject than the German government is willing to reveal, or they wouldn't be making such a fuss.
At least show some nationalistic pride in Germany for a change and kick the Islamics out...
Ok, it´s you who isn´t smart. First, you claim things you cannot prove. Then, you fail to see that the German government actively cooperates with the CIA and other international security/intelligence agencies. Even if our intel knows the identity, the prosecutors won´t find out. We have a saying "one crow won´t pick the eye of another crow". And third, I pray to God that He may forgive you your hatred and indifference against the suffering of innocents. Our "dialogue" is at an end. But take pride in knowing that I consider you to be a liar (see: intentional false claims).
You are claiming you can arrest people you cannot identify.
And third, I pray to God that He may forgive you your hatred and indifference against the suffering of innocents.
What god would that be?
No, you don't HAVE to thank us, but the underlying truth is there whether you want to accept it or not.
You fail to see that somebody guilty of negligent murder because of a DUI incident gets imprisonment on probation. That means that he has to serve his two years in jail once he committs another crime within the next three years following his conviction. He surely won´t drive again under influence of drugs, or he risks his job and life standard. But whom do we help when we put the worker in jail who regrets that he killed a human with his car? The family of the killed? No, they cannot expect much of compensation from an inmate. The victim? He/she´s dead. The offender? By arrestíng him, he loses his job, gets trouble with his family, lives in jail for years and when he gets out he´s broken. The family of the offender, which bears no guilt at all? Tough challenge to get through life without the paychecks from Dad, great living in the neighbourhood with people whispering about the evil Dad.
I´m all for hard punishment, but under our laws, the offender gets enough of it. The probation alone surely isn´t the worst of all, but combined with the civil compensation lawsuit, it´s a good reminder of never doing such again.
Show me where I wrote that.
But obviously you claim you can read and write, while you cannot comprehend full sentences. Man, discussion with you is like talking to a wall.
Mr. Dashwood has claimed the "German government" sold chemicals to Iraq. I asked him to prove his claim - he cannot. I call this lying.
( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1776659/posts?page=95#95 )
They are living in times similar to 1929/1930 when the brown shirts and their leader was taking over their country. The euros don't seem to learn from history, they'll expect us to bail them out again when the muslims take over their governments.
That's what spooks do Michael, especially when there's a war on. That's why they operate covertly. It's the ugly underbelly of foreign affairs and every government does it. Once in a while it breaks the surface and everyone acts as if they are shocked for awhile. If this guy was truly 'an innocent,' then it's been a sad mistake that he had to go through this. If he has a good lawyer he can probably get a cash settlement. But the criminal process isn't going anywhere and everyone knows it.
Doh. Thank you so much for the correction. Clint Eastwood made the movie I referred to, not Charlton Heston.
That is what I am afraid of.
The CIA agent you want is Valerie Plame.
She can be found in New Mexico.
Once again, "Valerie Plame."
Source: from Wikipedia:
German firms such as Karl Kobe helped build Iraqi chemical weapons facilities such as laboratories, bunkers, an administrative building, and first production buildings in the early 1980s under the cover of a pesticide plant. Other German firms sent 1,027 tons of precursors of mustard gas, sarin, tabun, and tear gasses in all. This work allowed Iraq to produce 150 tons of mustard agent and 60 tons of Tabun in 1983 and 1984 respectively, continuing throughout the decade. Five other German firms supplied equipment to manfacture botulin toxin and mycotoxin for germ warfare. In 1988, German engineers presented centrifuge data that helped Iraq expand its nuclear weapons program. Laboratory equipment and other information was provided, involving many German engineers. All told, 52% of Iraq's international chemical weapon equipment was of German origin. The State Establishment for Pesticide Production (SEPP) ordered culture media and incubators from Germany's Water Engineering Trading.
And where do you read "German government"??
German firms such as Karl Kobe helped build Iraqi chemical weapons facilities such as laboratories, bunkers, an administrative building, and first production buildings in the early 1980s under the cover of a pesticide plant. Other German firms sent 1,027 tons of precursors of mustard gas, sarin, tabun, and tear gasses in all. This work allowed Iraq to produce 150 tons of mustard agent and 60 tons of Tabun in 1983 and 1984 respectively, continuing throughout the decade. Five other German firms supplied equipment to manufacture botulin toxin and mycotoxin for germ warfare. In 1988, German engineers presented centrifuge data that helped Iraq expand its nuclear weapons program. Laboratory equipment and other information was provided, involving many German engineers. All told, 52% of Iraq's international chemical weapon equipment was of German origin. The State Establishment for Pesticide Production (SEPP) ordered culture media and incubators from Germany's Water Engineering Trading.
Thank-you.
There was also aerosol spraying equipment fitted for jet aircraft and helicopters...
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