CIA interrogation centres known as ‘black sites’

The dark side

August 06, 2014 - In the aftermath of 9/11, CIA interrogation centres known as ‘black sites’ were set up outside the US to run a secret programme where suspected terrorists were subjected to ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’. Parallel to this, another practice called ‘extraordinary rendition’ was incorporated by means of which suspected terrorists were transferred into the custody of a foreign government for the purpose of ‘interrogation’. Both the secret detention and extraordinary rendition programme were highly classified. The purpose of conducting these programmes outside the US was to keep the interrogation process beyond the reach of US law. read more>>>

Top senator rejects CIA torture report redactions ahead of public release

Senate intelligence committee chair Dianne Feinstein threatens to delay release in an attempt to reverse deletion of ‘key facts’

5 August 2014 - The key senator behind a landmark congressional investigation into the CIA’s use of torture has rejected redactions made by the Obama administration ahead of a planned public release of the politically charged report.

In the latest struggle between senator Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chairs the intelligence committee, and the CIA, Feinstein said she would delay a heavily anticipated disclosure of portions of the report in an attempt to reverse redactions that “eliminate or obscure key facts that support the report’s findings and conclusions”.

“Until these redactions are addressed to the committee’s satisfaction, the report will not be made public,” said Feinstein, who added that she intended to outline the committee’s desired disclosures in a private letter to President Barack Obama. read more>>>