Infidels Anonymous

Khalid El-Masri mistaken for a terrorism suspect with ties to the Hamburg Germany Al-Quaeda cell with the last name of Al-Masri; was supposedly abducted, extradited and tortured with the hopes of a confession coming forth. El-Masri was traveling to Macedonia from Germany when he was allegedly abducted against his will by CIA operatives.

The Lebanese born man became a German citizen in 1992 (around the same time Bill Clinton was enacting the “extraordinary rendition” clause giving the CIA authority in this manner) With the events of 9/11, the rendition clause was expanded by the current administration and has allegedly been used to detain 150 terror suspects in various locations across the world. The Bush administration has vehemently denied “extraordinary rendition” is currently being used. Condoleeza Rice has insisted that the US does not transfer people to places where they know they will be tortured and points out that this is in direct conflict with international law.

What international Law says about the rendition policy:

It is clearly prohibited by the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, ratified by the United States in 1992, and by congressionally enacted policy giving effect to CAT. As Congress made clear, it is the policy of the United States not to: expel, extradite, or otherwise effect the involuntary return of any person to a country in which there are substantial grounds for believing the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture, regardless of whether the person is physically present in the United States.

Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998,
(“FARRA”), Pub. L. No. 105-277, § 2242, 112 Stat. 2681 (Oct. 21, 1998),
reprinted in 8 U.S.C. § 1231, Historical and Statutory Notes (1999) (emphasis added).

Congress has recently reaffirmed this policy, providing in an amendment to the
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for the Iraq War and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (P.L. 109-13) that it will not authorize the funding of any program that “subject[s]
any person in the custody or under the physical control of the United States to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment that is prohibited by the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.” P.L. 109-13, § 1031 (2005). The President, too, has confirmed that it is the policy and practice of the United States neither to use torture nor to hand over detainees to countries that use torture.

Although the administration has denied these claims, Khalid El-Masri is sticking to his story. He alleges he was detained and taken (against his will according to his testimony) first to a hotel and then to a remote location in Afghanistan where he says he was beaten, tortured, kept in deplorable conditions, drugged, and raped while CIA coverts tried to force a confession from him. The confession constituted involvement with Al-Queada and the Hamburg cell of the terror entity. He claims he was held for 3 months until the CIA realized it’s mistake.

After realizing the case of mistaken identity, El Masri was allegedly held for an additional two months during which time he participated in a hunger strike with other detainees to protest their alleged false imprisonment. After coming close to death twice from lack of nourishment, El-Masri was allegedly taken by a CIA black team, dropped in the woods of neighboring Albania and left there. Albanian guards found him and suspected him of being a terrorist because of his unkempt appearance. Eventually El-Masri was re-united with his wife and family in Lebanon who believed him to be dead.

The ACLU brought El-Masri back to the United States to prosecute former CIA Tenet for overseeing this and several other cases of false imprisonment and extradition to foreign locations where supposedly they were the victims of torture in which no laws protected them.

This video clip shows the ACLU counsel introducing El-Masri and outlining their case.

http://stream.luxmedia501.com/?file=/clients/aclu/rendition/Masri_112806.wmv&type=wmv

Since bringing the case the ACLU has lost several rounds in the courts and this month (Oct. 2007) has been denied a hearing by the supreme court as well.

In addition to this, since returning to Germany El-Masri has been in trouble TWICE with the law. He was charged with Arson as well as disorderly conduct charges by the German polizei.

Is this a man that was wronged? Has he suffered great mental anguish after supposedly being tortured and imprisoned abroad and is now finding it difficult to re-integrate into the society he was once a part of?

or is this further evidence that El-Masri is not the savory family man the ACLU wishes you to believe he is?

If this is such a water-tight case, why is it not being heard?

Why has nearly every court dismissed, disallowed and the defense disproved the allegations?

Time will tell but until then it is a case to be allowed much thought, probing and delicate pandering among German and American nationals.

-GRM