Dec. 28, 2005 - 19:52 MST

FUNNY VERBIAGE

Rendition which apparently comes from the word render has a few definitions. My electronic Franklin gives the following for render:

1. - To extract (as lard) by heating.

2. - To give to another (also Yield)

3. - To give in return.

4. - To do (a service) for another. (render aid)

5. - To cause to be or become : MAKE

6. - To reproduce or represent by artistic or verbal means

7. - Translate (render into English)

Also the word rendition shows on my little electronic marvel as: "An act or a result of rendering (first rendition of the work into English)

Not surprised that our administration should pick out a word with many different definitions to accomplish the things they desire.

An article in this morning's Rocky Mountain News by Katherine Shrader of the Associated Press discusses some of the facets of U.S. rendition of "suspects." In full, bolds and italics mine:

INQUIRY ASKS WHETHER CIA GRABBED INNOCENT PEOPLE

WASHINGTON --

"The CIA's independent watchdog is investigating as many as 10 cases in which people mistaken as terror suspects may have been swept away to foreign countries by the spy agency."

"After the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, President Bush gave the CIA authority to conduct the now-controversial operations, called "renditions," and permitted the agency to act without case-by-case approval from the White House or other administrat ion offices."

"The highly classified practice involves grabbing terror suspects off the street of one country and flying them to their home country or another where they are wanted for a crime or questioning."

"Some 100 to 150 people have been snatched up since Sept. 11, 2001."

"Government officials say the action is reserved for those considered by the CIA to be the most serious terror suspects."

"Bush has said that these transfers to other countries -- with assurances the terror suspects won't be tortured -- are a way to protect the United States and its allies from attack. "That was the charge we have been given," he said in March."

"But some operations are being questioned."

"The CIA's inspector general, John Helgerson, is looking into fewer than 10 cases of potentially "erroneous renditions," according to a current intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigations are classified. Others in the agency believe it to be much fewer, the official added."

"For instance, someone may be grabbed wrongly or, after further investigation, may not be as directly linked to terrorism as initially believed."

"Human-rights groups groups consider the practice of rendition a runaround to avoid the judicial processes that the United States has long championed."

"Experts with those groups and congressional committees familiar with intelligence programs say errors should be extremely rare because one vivid anecdote can do significant damage."

"Said Tom Malinowski, Wahington office director of Human Rights Watch: "I am glad the CIA is investigating the cases that they are aware of, but by definition you are not going to be aware of all such cases when you have a process designed to avoid judicial safeguards."

"He said there is no guarantee that Egypt, Uzbekistan or Syria will release people handed over to them if they turn out to be innocent, and he distrusts promises the U.S. receives that the individuals will not be tortured."

"Bush and his aides have said the United States seeks those assurances -- and follows up on them. "We do believe on protecting ourselves. We don't believe in torture," he said."

"In the last 18 months, the administration has come under fire for its detentions and interrogations in the war on terror. At facilities run by the CIA and the U.S. military, graphic images of abuse and at leat 26 deaths investigated as criminal homicides have raised questions about how authorities handle foreign fighters and terror suspects in U.S. custody."

"Senior administration officials have tried to stress that the cases are isolated instances among the more than 80,000 detainees held since 9/11."

"Yet much remains unknown about the CIA's highly classified detention and iterrogation practices, particularly when it grabs foreigners and spirits them away to other countries."

"With the help of the AMerican Civil Liberties Union, Kahled al-Masri, a German citizen of Lebanese descent, has sued the CIA for arbitrarily detaining him and other alleged violations after he was captured in Macedonia, in December 2003 and taken to Afghanistan by a team of covert operatives in an apparent case of mistaken identity."

"Speaing to reporters by video hoopup from GErmany this month, al-Masri said he was "dragged off the plane, thrown into the trunk of a car" and beaten by his captors in Afthanistan. Five months later, his complaint says, he was dropped off on a hill in Albania."

"Mamdouh Habib, an Egyptian-born Australian, was arrested near the Pakistani-Afghan border shortly after 9/11 and flown to Cairo, Egypt."

"He says for six months he was tortured there and was later transported to Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In 2005, he was released without charge and allowed to return to Sydney, Australia."

"Prior to 9/11, renditions were ordered to bring wanted criminals to justice. But the purpose was broadened after the attacks to get terrorists off the streets."

"Renditions represent just a fraction of the captures handled by the CIA and its allies. More than 3,000 foreigners have been detained in operations involving the CIA and friendly intelligence services since 9/11, according to the intelligence official."

"Sometimes, the United States merely may be providing information, training or equipment for the operations."

"Countries, including Jordan and Egyupt, are believed to cooperate with the operations. Although Saudi Arabia is thought to be involved, its ambassador to the United States has denied accepting any cases."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To my mind the whole thing stinks to high heaven. Seems to me that basically a "suspect" is not a criminal until proven so, in a fair court of law. Not a military tribunal or field kangaroo court but a decent court of law. Of the thousands captured it appears to me that few have been convicted, or even tried, just held. And it appears that a person mistakenly identified as a terrorist is doomed to prision for an indefinite time and then released "on a hill in Alvania," or some such place -- without apologies or excuses. While other "suspected" terrorists remain in custody much as they have been in for a long, long time.

Also seems to me that the fox guarding the henhouse the CIA's inspector general, John Helgerson, is doing his best to minimize the whole situation.

Then the next to the last paragraph, "Sometimes, the United States merely may be providing information, training or equipment for the operations." Really makes me wonder which section of left field this came from. Information, training or equipment to promote the USA practice of rendition ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Going back a little, our administration trying to say that the Geneva Convention did not apply to those taken by our forces, because they were not enemy combatants but terrorists, thinking back to the early days of our country, wouldn't our countrymen be considered terrorists rather than enemy combatants ? Of course that was before the Geneva Convention and our ancestors were treated however the oppressors wished.

Seems to me that the priniciple of a person being considered innocent until PROVEN guilty, should be morally applied to those we capture, where ever, when ever and however.

But the sloganeering, propagandistic administration we have now keep resorting to FUNNY VERBIAGE . . . . . . . . . .

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