The United States Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) ran an extensive worldwide network of black-sites and has
since passed on its torture practices to local authorities,
investigative journalist and winner of the Ridenhour Book Prize for
truth-telling, Anand Gopal told Sputnik.
WASHINGTON
(Sputnik) — Gopal, who served as an Afghanistan correspondent
for multiple US newspapers, explained that United States Army commanders
in Afghanistan are “very well aware” of the torture practiced by Afghan
security forces and warlords.
According to international human right organizations, the United States co-opted up to 54 foreign countries to take part in its extrajudicial rendition and interrogation program during the War on Terror. “The CIA essentially ran an archipelago of torture around the world,” Gopal said on Wednesday. “It is actually still being committed [in Afghanistan], but it is now outsourced to local actors who are deputized to carry out these atrocities.”
Individuals who are accused of terrorist activities “will be taken away, they will be beaten, tortured and many times killed,” Gopal said.
The practice is not done by “rogue elements,” he argued, but has become “standard operating procedure” during the US War on Terror. A February 2015 United Nations report documented the forms of torture taking place under the Afghan security forces, and local warlords.
These actors “have been created, armed and funded by the United States,” Gopal alleged, continuing that the torture practices are “going on as we speak.”
US officials disregard the human rights concerns, he said, because the officials in question “are too important for national security.”
Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu brought to light new revelations on US overseas black-sites when he confirmed that Romania had hosted at least one CIA facility. In a Wednesday blog post, Iliescu acknowledged that he had approved CIA requests to set up at least one black site in Romania where detainees were held and subjected to torture.
According to international human right organizations, the United States co-opted up to 54 foreign countries to take part in its extrajudicial rendition and interrogation program during the War on Terror. “The CIA essentially ran an archipelago of torture around the world,” Gopal said on Wednesday. “It is actually still being committed [in Afghanistan], but it is now outsourced to local actors who are deputized to carry out these atrocities.”
Individuals who are accused of terrorist activities “will be taken away, they will be beaten, tortured and many times killed,” Gopal said.
The practice is not done by “rogue elements,” he argued, but has become “standard operating procedure” during the US War on Terror. A February 2015 United Nations report documented the forms of torture taking place under the Afghan security forces, and local warlords.
These actors “have been created, armed and funded by the United States,” Gopal alleged, continuing that the torture practices are “going on as we speak.”
US officials disregard the human rights concerns, he said, because the officials in question “are too important for national security.”
Former Romanian President Ion Iliescu brought to light new revelations on US overseas black-sites when he confirmed that Romania had hosted at least one CIA facility. In a Wednesday blog post, Iliescu acknowledged that he had approved CIA requests to set up at least one black site in Romania where detainees were held and subjected to torture.
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