Europe Shames U.S. Congress

After 9-11, within the frame-work of the fight against terrorism, the violation of human and fundamental rights was not isolated, or an excessive measure confined to a short period of time, but rather a widespread regular practice by the CIA in which the majority of European countries are involved.

Giovanni Claudio Fava, chief investigator for a European Parliament report on the CIA's "extraordinary renditions" in Europe—following three months of hearings, April 26.

This is not a story about the CIA's secret prisons around the world, but rather a probe by the European Parliament that Congress's Republican leadership has refused to authorize here—into CIA "rendition" kidnappings throughout Europe of suspects sent to countries known for torturing prisoners. (A number of the victims testified at the European Parliament hearings.)

One of the crimes committed by the CIA in these renditions is a violation of U.S. Code 2441, the War Crimes Act of 1996 condemning torture—and the international Covenant Against Torture.