To whom is the CIA accountable

To whom is the CIA accountable?

Nat Hentoff

http://www.NewsandOpinion.com In a Nov. 29 speech, the president once again assured everyone: "The United States does not torture — and that's important for people around the world to understand."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and CIA head Porter Goss have made similar pledges.

However, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is discovering in Europe, an increasing number of countries are trying to find out whether the CIA has been violating the sovereignty and anti-torture laws of those countries — and international law. On Nov. 27, writing from Berlin, Mark Trevelyan, reporting for Reuters, wrote:

"A wave of investigations into whether the CIA broke laws and violated human rights while using Europe as a hub for secret transfers of terrorist suspects poses awkward questions for both European governments and Washington. Pressure has grown on all sides in the past week to explain dozens of flights crisscrossing the continent by CIA planes, some suspected of delivering prisoners to jails in third countries where they may have been mistreated or tortured."

These deliveries are better known as "renditions" by the CIA to countries that our own State Department has condemned for abusing human rights to the point of torture. As an index of Europe's concern, the Berliner Zeitung newspaper reported that "85 CIA flights had taken off or landed at the U.S. Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt between 2002 and 2004. Baghdad, Kabul and the Jordanian capital Amman were among the most frequent points of origin and destination."

Among the nations conducting investigations into these CIA "renditions" are Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Canada. Indeed, as I have previously written — and Trevelyan currently reports — "Italian prosecutors (have) requested the extradition of 22 U.S. citizens, suspected of being CIA operatives, who are charged with snatching a suspect on the streets of Milan in 2003 and flying him to Egypt, where he later said he was tortured." That kidnapped suspect was flown from Milan to Ramstein Air Base in Germany on the way to an Egyptian prison cell.

Also being investigated by European officials are charges by American newspapers and human rights organizations that the CIA operates a hidden network of interrogation centers, some of them in European nations, including Eastern Europe. Reporting from Berlin on Nov. 28, Paul Ames of the Associated Press quoted the European Union's Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini as warning that "any of the 25 bloc nations found to have operated secret CIA prisons could have their EU voting rights suspended." Not surprisingly, Ames added, "The CIA has refused to comment on the European investigation."

There was a comment, however, on Sept. 11 in a Prague Post editorial: "For Eastern Europe, the value the United States places on individual freedom and human rights has been a beacon. But a beacon can be swiftly extinguished. Meddling with the terms of justice, the current U.S. administration may be doing irreparable harm to a vision of uniform fairness that defines the American national essence and certifies its institutional contribution to human history."

With the "special powers" the president has given the CIA — and that Vice President Dick Cheney firmly supports regarding interrogations — the International Red Cross and human rights organizations are not allowed to visit these CIA "black sites." (But a U.N. investigator is now allowed inside Chinese prisons.) The identities of those hidden CIA prisoners are not known, and their families have no access to them. They have disappeared. They are "ghost prisoners."

In the Boston Globe, Washington attorney Mark Brzezinksi — author of "The Struggle for Constitutionalism in Poland" (Palgrave, 2000) — makes points that should surely lead to an independent investigation of CIA practices abroad by Congress, including subpoena powers. A number of former CIA agents appear to be willing to testify — without being subpoenaed — as indicated in the Nov. 19 National Journal ("CIA Veterans Condemn Torture").

Brzezinksi writes: "The CIA's internment practices ... would be considered illegal under the laws of all the new democracies of eastern Europe. In every East European democracy, detainees have rights to a lawyer and to mount a defense against allegations of wrongdoing." (These countries, prodded by America, signed the European Convention on Human Rights.)

Although Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have strongly denied they have harbored these CIA "black sites," the European Commission is looking into the charges against Poland and Romania. The president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, told the Associated Press that his nation has never allowed CIA prisoners on its territory. But he added, "No president is informed if some plane lands."

Burton L. Gerber, a 39-year-old veteran of the CIA and a decorated Moscow station chief, said last year at the College of William and Mary that he opposes torture "because it corrupts the society that tolerates it."

Why are the CIA's prisons abroad beyond any accountability? What happens inside them? What happens to other terrorism suspects transferred to countries that torture? How many of us care about what is being done in our name to tarnish that name?

Next week: Reactions in Europe to Rice's evasive attempts at explanation.

Does Congress give a damn about any of this?

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There are unscrupulous people on the internet these days. Some of them are not who they claim to be and in order to disrupt honest spiritual pursuits, they are known to send out e-mail under someone else's name or the name of another church or jurisdiction with attachments. Anyone can do this, if they want. Some of them exist in Toledo, Ohio... Some in Texas... Others in Michigan, California and many other places... Some are "haters of truth" who follow (whether they are willing to admit it) those who have sway over less educated or ignorant people... as their are also those who do not even know what they are doing because they seek glory to satisfy their own vanity and selfish pride to take over a church or jurisdiction of another, or to wreck havoc over those whom they hate without considering the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.

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Also: Hang Up Telephone Calls constantly get to you?

We get them all the time. But one thing we do that many are unaware of... We keep an automatic telephone log and then we turn them over to the same group who monitors and interacts with the hackers, etc.

It no longer matters if the caller calls once in a day, every other day or every day or several times a week, once a week for several months... All get logged, even those who think they have escaped notice by using the actual I.D. Caller number of "000-000-0000" which is being used of late.

It is known that a telephone number showing up may actually be a telephone service provider phone number, yet... they too keep logs and information as to each individual cellular or local (their locale) phone usage...

In the not-to-distant future, we intend to post some of those telephone numbers which constantly show up as "harassing hang-up" callers. May be, you too have the same? If so, may be we can assist in interacting to go further in bringing them to justice...

Contact us by E-Mail... provide us with your telephone number (U.S. residents only)... so that we may telephone you and assess the information.

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Those who do such unscrupulous things, HATE some of the news, quotes, and such as to inform the general public. Some of them pose as clergy, while a few are actually clergy from various "other" offshoot AMERICAN ORTHODOX CHURCH or other jurisdiction(s) of the same or similar name of which we are, in some instances, their former MOTHER CHURCH (as is the same named Toledo, Ohio based, an offshoot, who had once been a part of us and unknowingly to our unworthy selves, were once a part of the clergy but they did not obtain permission to leave the jurisdiction they were under, according to Canon, and thus obtained for themselves re-ordination and consecrations, several times... and then using a variety of church names, including our own after they were defrocked and excommunicated, having more than three (3) times being excommunicated by other legitimate apostles/bishops); having joined in and with "Independent" churches who have nothing to do with us or even true Orthodoxy.

They seek to go out of their way to character assassinate and disparage religious web sites who do not meet their own brand of standardization which is evidence of their being not "Orthodox" "Christian" or even "Catholic" no matter what their nomenclature corporate name may be. The Toldeo, Ohio based same name group under their so-called leader has been deposed, defrocked and excommunicated more than three different times by various bishops/apostles. He, and several others, have become just as bad as the modern day Ecumenists of the National Council of Churches, World Council of Churches, the World Council of Bishops and more. Their ultimate aim and goal is destruction to those from whom they had either originated from or gone through to obtain the same named "church" they claim to hold to by the state's civil law in which they reside alone. They are not a "Schema-monk" or even a true "monk" for they were deposed and excommunicated for violations of the Holy Rule they claim to subscribe to, giving and openly providing false misleading and inaccurate information about other more honorable clergy. These 'wolves in sheep's clothing attract other nefarious and questionable persons whose aims are similar: for fame, image, power and glory.

Remember, anything that is a HALF TRUTH is not truth but a lie! Many there are that you may know who fit those descriptions... pray for them. Pray that God will send his Spirit of Truth upon them and lead them to Salvation through tears of Repentance, conversion of their cold and calculating hearts toward seeking forgiveness from God and those whom they attempt to harm.

Those who receive e-mail from us, know who we are and from where we send mail. There are also many who know that they can send e-mail under another group or person's e-mail address, which has been happening. If you receive e-mail that purports itself to be from us, verify first by hitting your "reply" button and ask, "I received this e-mail but would like verification if it is from you."

If you are of another jurisdiction, you too could find that your parishioners, clergy and faithful might become subject to the same as we have recently found.

Let this be a warning to visitors so as to be safeguarded against unscrupulous e-mails which contain viruses, worms and unsavory material from person(s) organizations or institutions that are more self-serving than uplifting and informatively news worthy.

For ourselves, we have, as in the past, so once again, acquired the assistance of those who are able and capable of tracing e-mails back to their source and taking appropriate action in North America.

We have learned that the organization we subscribe to, whose members come from various legal and law enforcement backgrounds amongst other areas of society, are committed to the faith even though they may hold different theologies. Yet, in their monitoring of electronic communications of various persons or people, they do not always make haste to bring perpetrators to justice until after enough evidence has been gained in order to build a solid case. We do not always know what information they have gained, but we do know the organization, whom we've been asked not to name, has had a 97% success rate in bringing to justice and obtaining a conviction against individuals, people, and sometimes even religious organizations of a persona that gives the appearance of both secular and religious bearing but who abuse and misuse technology. The organization views those who abuse and misuse the internet and other technologies as nothing more than a form of "domestic terrorism" - - - - and, it would seem to appear that the courts are in agreement!

Those kinds of people, organizations, etc. who misuse and abuse communication technologies are no different than those who attempt to use coercive measures, and in some instance, even blackmail for the same idea is involved... to cause havoc and wreckage, to destroy the spirit and activity of those who struggle in the faith out of pain of heart for the Orthodox Church which is TRUTH. The degree that some have been known to go to, as seen by other jurisdictions, is to take advantage of questionably mentally challenged or those who have a lack of education and understanding to get them to make statements, even outright lies, in writing, in order to destroy. Such persons or groups are spiritual terrorists for unholy and un-Orthodox causes, aims and goals.

Yes, our Metropolitan Archbishop, +Joseph Thaddeus, SSJt., Ph.D. strongly defends the Seals of the Confessional for such leads to true Repentance in thought, word and deed whereby the penitent is required to make amends, where possible, to seek forgiveness of those harmed by his actions whether real or imagined, and to give his forgiveness to those who have harmed him before taking the Holy Body and Blood in the Eucharist, Jesus the Christ. The reality of this understanding is bound up in and with the findings for which cause he, himself, had been character assassinated by his detractors who claim the courts prevented him from breaking the Seals of the Confessional which is not the truth at all.... Click here to see what another bishop's findings are...

The workings of Holy Spirit will not be daunted by those who attempt to cause disruption! It is for these and other reasons that you are urged to read what true repentance and forgiveness means for real "Christians".

"It would be better to have ten (10) true repentant X-felons who ask for and give true forgiveness than it would be to have one (1) non-x-felon or common person whose self-righteousness exceeds even the Pharisees, Sadducees, the gossip mongers, slanderers and un-repentant; for the repentant x-felon understands the true meaning of the Church's purpose as being the spiritual hospital." (siq) +Joseph Thaddeus, OSB, SSJt., Ph.D., Metropolitan Archbishop, Archabbot, Primate

Yes... "Prejudice Makes Prisoners of the Hated and the Hater..." (1992-Fr. Alan Stanford)

One can ask, "What part of 'Prejudice' and 'hate' do you not understand? Are you a complacent person? In light of the saying, examine yourself! You may be surprised if you are honest with yourself for your soul may convict you before Jesus Christ convicts you in the times to come!

"When tested by some trial you should try to find out not why or through whom it came, but only how to endure it gratefully, without distress or rancor."

St. Mark the Ascetic.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit." Psalms 32:1-2

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