Washington, D.C. – Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), a senior Democratic Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, today sent a letter to the CIA’s Inspector General requesting a full accounting of the Agency’s use of “extraordinary rendition” -- the controversial process of sending detainees for interrogation to foreign countries known to use torture. In response to recent reports that some individuals have been mistakenly kidnapped by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Inspector General recently announced a probe of the practice, beginning with up to ten cases of mistaken CIA kidnappings.  Experts estimate that the Bush Administration has initiated 100 to 150 “extraordinary renditions” since Sept. 11, 2001, and perhaps many more.

In his letter, Congressman Markey, author of the “Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act”, requested that the CIA conduct a full investigation of the Bush Administration’s use of “diplomatic assurances” -- promises from countries receiving US prisoners that they will not be harmed – when the country making the promise is widely known to engage in torture.  “The use of ‘diplomatic assurances’”, said Markey, “is an embarrassing fig-leaf that fools no one and opens the United States to ridicule and charges of hypocrisy around the world.”

“I urge you to use your powers to include in your investigation a thorough review of the preposterous practice of accepting assurances against torture from a country already known to torture persons in its custody,” said Representative Markey in his letter to the CIA's Inspector General, John Helgerson.

The revelation that the U.S. has mistakenly kidnapped numerous foreign citizens adds new fuel to the criticism of this secretive and unchecked process of rendition.  On December 27, 2005 the Associated Press reported that the CIA would be investigating 10 cases where terror suspects may have been swept away to foreign countries.  The CIA’s Inspector General John Helgerson confirmed that the agency is investigating erroneous kidnappings.

For more information on how Representative Markey’s work to end the practice of outsourcing torture to countries known to torture check out: http://markey.house.gov/

Letter to CIA, January 12, 2005