Renditions Again
From Leon Panetta’s confirmation hearings:
Transcript (emphasis added):
FEINSTEIN: Will the CIA continue the practice of extraordinary rendition by which the government will transfer a detainee to either a foreign government or a black site for the purpose of long-term detention and interrogation, as opposed to for law enforcement purposes?
PANETTA: No we will not because under the executive order signed by the president, that kind of extraordinary rendition, where we send someone for the purposes of torture or for actions by another country that violate our human values — that has been forbidden by the executive order.
From Panetta’s opening statement (pdf, emphasis added):
“Rendition, detention, and interrogation practices and policies of the Intelligence Community should fully comply with the U.S. Constitution, U.S. statutes, and the policy set by the President. On January 22, 2009, the President issued an executive order directing all U.S. agencies to use Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions as the baseline for the treatment and interrogation of persons detained in any armed conflict. The executive order also states that agencies must notify the International Committee of the Red Cross of such detainees and provide the Red Cross with access to them. The intelligence community must follow the executive order. With respect to renditions, the intelligence community must comply with U.S. obligations under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, including Article 3 prohibiting the rendition of a person to a country where it is more likely than not he will be subjected to torture.“
I’m sure we will shortly see corrections from Hot Air, Pat Dollard, Moe Llane, Jonah Goldberg, et al.
