Rice and the "Salt Pit"

Dec 3: An update from the Washington Post's Glenn Kessler today. Apprently it is now U.S. policy to respect the "sovereignty" of our European allies. Good to hear, if it's true. Was there ever a question about whether that's a good idea? How about their laws?
As the Washington Post's Anne Gearan says in "White House Defends Human Rights Record", there is "mounting criticism" over U.S. detainment policy and the use of so-called "extraordinary rendition". Reuters reports that Germany is "waiting patiently" for a response from Secretary Rice on the charge that the CIA has abducted foreign citizens and flown them to secret prisons in Europe, Afghanistan, and perhaps elsewhere, first reported by Dana Priest in the Washington Post a month ago. Reuters says one such person was a German citizen, abducted in Macedonia, and then flown to the "Salt Pit", a prison in Afghanistan, where he was drugged and beaten. The BBC reports that the ACLU is to sue the CIA over one such abduction.

cont'd after link

Putting the Reuters and BBC reports together, it seems likely that the German citizen will be speaking next week at a press conference with the ACLU where he will describe his ordeal. We'll have to wait and see what Rice will have to say to the Germans, and to the countries across the EU, where this is a huge story.

One interesting question that will need a follow-up: what companies own the aircraft used in these extraordinary rendition flights? The BBC reports that the "ACLU also wants to name corporations which it accuses of owning and operating the aircraft used to transport detainees secretly from country to country." What corporations could those be? "Gimme an H!..."

So here's another question, kind of similar to a lot I've been asking lately: where's the Democratic opposition on this? What have we done lately to support those like McCain who don't want to support torture in this country? Ghost detainees are ghosted for one reason--don't kid yourself: it's a whole lot easier to torture someone when no one knows where they are or even if they exist. Torture is the only reason the "Salt Pit" exists. There is a debate about torture we can have, and win, but we're simply not doing it. We're not being loud enough.

Each incredibly ridiculous thing this administration does is so baffling that it distracts the press, the public, and the Democrats from all the other issues they should also be talking about. Who will step up and be our Shadow Secretary of State? (...and Shadow AG, and Shadow Defense Secretary, and Shadow UN Ambassador, and...)