Helping the CIA To Torture

Published in Neues Deutschland
(Germany) on 21 January 2015
by Olaf Standke (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
Much of the U.S. Senate report on torturing suspected terrorists was heavily censored, but what did manage to see the light of day gives devastating insight into the horror cabinets of a superpower's intelligence services in its “war on terror.” Amnesty International (AI) has dug more deeply and has again turned its attention to those European accomplices in torturing because absent willing helpers in Poland, Romania, Lithuania, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, the CIA could have never operated its perfidious network of secret prisons. Amnesty International has rightly called for a comprehensive investigation into local assistance efforts and legal sanctions and punishment for those found to be complicit.

The praiseworthy German version of the CIA torture report, now published in book form, shows in oppressive detail why denials and cover-ups cannot be permitted. Not in Washington, not in Berlin and not in Warsaw. The stated goal of “national security” does not allow free rein in everything. There is neither a moral nor a legal basis for it. Torture is illegal under international law and therefore an offense that must be dealt with consistently – if for no other reason than to protect the rule of law for everyone.


Komplizen im CIA-Folternetzwerk
Von Olaf Standke
21.01.2015

Olaf Standke über die Amnesty-Forderung nach Aufklärung in Europa

Es wurde viel geschwärzt im CIA-Folterbericht des US-amerikanischen Senats. Doch schon das, was den Weg in die Öffentlichkeit fand, bietet verheerende Einblicke in die Gruselkabinette des Auslandsgeheimdienstes einer Supermacht im »Anti-Terrorkrieg«. Amnesty International hat weitergebohrt und jetzt erneut die Folterkomplizen in Europa an den Pranger gestellt. Denn ohne willige Helfer in Polen, Rumänien, Litauen, Großbritannien und anderswo hätte die CIA ihr länderübergreifendes perfides Netz von Geheimgefängnissen nicht auslegen können. Zu Recht fordert die Menschenrechtsorganisation, die auch scharf die hiesigen Verstrickungen kritisiert, eine vollständige Aufklärung und strafrechtliche Verfolgung der Verantwortlichen.

Die verdienstvolle deutsche Fassung des CIA-Folterreports, die jetzt als Buch erschienen ist, zeigt mit ihren bedrückenden Details, warum es Verleugnung und Vertuschung weder in Washington noch in Berlin oder Warschau geben darf. Denn der immer wieder beschworene Zweck der »nationalen Sicherheit« heiligt eben nicht alle Mittel. Für Folter gibt es keine moralische und keine juristische Rechtfertigung. Folter ist völkerrechtswidrig und damit ein Rechtsbruch, der konsequent geahndet werden muss - auch um den Rechtsstaat zu schützen.
This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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