Under "extraordinary rendition, alleged terror suspects in the past have been abducted by the CIA and flown to be tortured (and/or murdered) to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Jordan and Uzbekistan, among other venues. The practice was started in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, who is said to have rendered 80 suspects, and was vastly expanded by President George W. Bush after 9/11.
Rendition on its face is a violation of Article 3 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture, ratified by the U.S. in 1994. As Wikipedia notes, "Rendered suspects are denied due process because they are arrested without charges and deprived of legal counsel.
During his appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee last February, CIA nominee Leon Panetta, now Agency Director, said, "I think renditions where we return individuals to another country where they prosecute them under their laws, I think that is an appropriate use of rendition, the Associated Press reported.
Obama's aides have said they will count on the diplomatic assurances of the other countries not to torture suspects. Amrit Singh, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, said such assurances have "proven completely ineffective in preventing torture.
With some modifications, the Obama administration appears to be carrying forward the ugly practices of the Bush and Clinton imperial presidencies, hardly the "change for which the American people had hoped. Unless you count "chump change.
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