Two Court Decisions: Italy Convicts CIA Agents - USA Rules Against Maher Arar

5 posts / 0 new

Thu, 2009-11-05 00:32

NDPP

Two Court Decisions:

A Court Decision that Reflects What Type of Country the US Is:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/11/04-1

"It's not often that an appellate Court decision reflects so vividly what a country has become, but such is the case with yesterday's ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Arar v Ashcroft.."

Italy Convicts Former CIA Agents in Rendition Trial:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/11/04-6

"An Italian judge sentenced 23 former CIA agents to up to 8 years in prison Wednesday for the abduction of a Muslim cleric in a symbolic ruling against 'rendition' flights used by the former [and present] US government..."

I don't imagine any CSIS agents will be tried for their part in the Arar matter, even though they should be

Thu, 2009-11-05 00:57

ReeferMadness

One of the 23 Americans convicted has come forward and complained that they have been "abandoned and betrayed" by those who ordered the action. Sabrina deSouza has admitted to breaking the law.

I guess the CIA will be counselling it's employees against vacations in Italy.

Thu, 2009-11-05 01:30

Fidel

ReeferMadness wrote:

One of the 23 Americans convicted has come forward and complained that they have been "abandoned and betrayed" by those who ordered the action. Sabrina deSouza has admitted to breaking the law.

I guess the CIA will be counselling it's employees against vacations in Italy.

CIA's always been made welcome there. Italy is a frontline state for cold warriors long time.

Thu, 2009-11-05 20:21

NDPP

Criminal Convictions of 22 CIA Agents in Italy

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/11/05/renditions/index.html

Mon, 2010-06-14 10:41

skdadl

[URL=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/14/AR201006... rejects Arar appeal, no reasons given[/URL]

In theory, that's the end of the legal road in the U.S. In fact, I'm sure the ACLU will keep going.

On the legal issues and positions involved, see from last November [URL=http://harpers.org/archive/2009/11/hbc-90006024]Scott Horton:[/URL]

Quote:
“When the history of this distinguished court is written, today’s majority decision will be viewed with dismay,” writes Guido Calabresi, the former Yale Law dean and a man widely viewed as the most illustrious living member of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He is lodging his dissent in a 7-4 decision of the en banc court concluding that a Canadian software engineer named Maher Arar has no right to sue government officials. What has Calabresi so worked up?