Welcome aboard Torture Airlines...last-class flights 'round the world...

Discussion in 'Politics & Current Events' started by Mel Brennan, Nov 18, 2004.

  1. Mel Brennan

    Mel Brennan PLANITARCHIS' BANE

    Paris Saint Germain
    United States
    Apr 8, 2002
    Baltimore
    Club:
    Paris Saint Germain FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    US accused of ‘torture flights’
    Stephen Grey


    An executive jet is being used by the American intelligence agencies to fly terrorist suspects to countries that routinely use torture in their prisons.
    The movements of the Gulfstream 5 leased by agents from the United States defence department and the CIA are detailed in confidential logs obtained by The Sunday Times which cover more than 300 flights.

    Countries with poor human rights records to which the Americans have delivered prisoners include Egypt, Syria and Uzbekistan, according to the files. The logs have prompted allegations from critics that the agency is using such regimes to carry out “torture by proxy” — a charge denied by the American government.

    Some of the information from the suspects is said to have been used by MI5 and MI6, the British intelligence services. The admissibility in court of evidence gained under torture is being considered in the House of Lords in an appeal by foreign-born prisoners at Belmarsh jail, south London, against their detention without trial on suspicion of terrorism.

    Over the past two years the unmarked Gulfstream has visited British airports on many occasions, although it is not believed to have been carrying suspects at the time.

    The Gulfstream and a similarly anonymous-looking Boeing 737 are hired by American agents from Premier Executive Transport Services, a private company in Massachusetts.

    The white 737, registration number N313P, has 32 seats.

    It is a frequent visitor to American military bases, although its exact role has not been revealed.

    More is known about the Gulfstream, which has the registration number N379P and can carry 14 passengers. Movements detailed in the logs can be matched with several sightings of the Gulfstream at airports when terrorist suspects have been bundled away by US counterterrorist agents.

    Analysis of the plane’s flight plans, covering more than two years, shows that it always departs from Washington DC. It has flown to 49 destinations outside America, including the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba and other US military bases, as well as Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Morocco, Afghanistan, Libya and Uzbekistan.

    Witnesses have claimed that the suspects are frequently bound, gagged and sedated before being put on board the planes...
     
  2. Barbara

    Barbara BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 29, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is very interesting. At one of the airports I flew thru over the weekend I saw a large jet - totally white, no markings that I could see - sitting by a hangar next to a runway. I thought it was peculiar but forgot about it almost immediately.

    I wish I could remember what airport it was - I was at National, Dulles, O'Hare & LAX. I'm thinking O'Hare but I'm not really sure.
     
  3. 352klr

    352klr Member+

    Jan 29, 2001
    The Burgh of Edin
    I'd hardly say a free flight on a G-V is last-class. Anyways, on topic, I remember a month or two ago an article about three Egyptians detained in Sweden that were flown to Egypt on a G-V. A reporter did some snooping around and discovered that two G-V's are leased by the government and used for such purposes. These three Egyptians were wanted by their government on terrorism charges. If these people that the US is extraditing are wanted in the countries they are being extradited to, there is nothing wrong with that IMO. However, if there are no charges against them and they are being flown to Morrocco strictly for interrogation purposes, that's another story.

    A smile quibble, but those registration nos. could be off. Everytime I've flown private and had to enter the tail number for customs purposes, it's N(which is the country code for the US) followed by three numbers followed by two more letters. A minor issue, but if someone who knows more about aviation I'd like to know about the discrepancy.


    Barb-That could be "Con-Air". The US Marshal Service uses white, non-descript planes that are based regionally out of their own hangars set apart from all the others. At least that's how they're set up at Will Rogers in OKC. The one's I've seen flying out of OKC are all white 727's.
     

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