[78] On January 23, 2009, The Guardian reported that the CIA had run black sites at Szymany Airport in Poland, Camp Eagle in Bosnia and Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. The US Navy has anchored one of its secret prisons in Haitian waters 1.2M views, 5.3K likes, 172 loves, 682 comments, 1.8K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Infographics Show: We all know prisoners are kept locked inside prison cells and monitored 24/7, but have. A former riding school in Antaviliai, a village some 25 kilometres (16mi) from Vilnius, was said to have been converted into a jail by the CIA in 2004. [68] On 21 February 2008, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband admitted that two United States extraordinary rendition flights refuelled on Diego Garcia in 2002, and was "very sorry" that earlier denials were having to be corrected. In 2014, the US government declassified a US Senate Report on the CIAs Detention and Interrogation Program. Time began to warp for them. The Guardian article is based on a forthcoming report from an NGO called Reprieve. He didn't know that he was going to be brought to the United States, wasn't being allowed to call his family wondering, "does my family think I died?" [70] Slovak ministry spokesman Richard Fides said the country had no black sites, but its intelligence service spokesman Vladimir Simko said he would not disclose any information about possible Slovak black sites to the media. But this isn't a wait of just a few hours or days. Makes me think it was a load of bs. It did not matter to us where they would leave us; we were desperate to communicate with our family. The Coast Guard and the Department of Justice maintain that all detainees are treated humanely and with accordance to the law. Ironic if one of the prison/torture ships was the Bataan; given that it was so-named as a result of our outrage over mistreatment of our POWs by the Japanese. ). The countries named were: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. John Walker Lindh, aka The American Taliban, is one of the most well-known detainees to sail on the United States secret prison fleet. Amnesty Internationals report stated that Moroccan interrogators had repeatedly beaten, humiliated, electrocuted, burned, and waterboarded inmates at Temara. In 2008, The Guardian reported that human rights organization Reprieve, which claimed that the US has admitted to holding at least 26,000 people in secret prisons, had discovered that the US was operating a fleet of "floating prisons" that span the globe. 11/28/17: 5 . The revelation of such black sites adds to the controversy surrounding US government policy regarding those whom it describes as "unlawful enemy combatants". Now, it turns out, there's a secret U.S. detention system in the War on Drugs, too and this one is aboard U.S. Coast Guard cutters sailing in the Pacific Ocean. Since then, there have been more and more people leaving. A June 2006 report from the Council of Europe estimated 100 people had been kidnapped by the CIA on EU territory (with the cooperation of Council of Europe members), and rendered to other countries, often after having transited through secret detention centres ("black sites") used by the CIA, some located in Europe. Satellite and other planetary prisons may soon become convenient places to rocket invisibles off to as this planet becomes ever more crowded. On two occasions he has had a role in these operations. Secret Floating Prisons - Explained | We all know prisoners are kept Secret Floating Prisons - Explained - YouTube Many families, in fact, believe that their loved ones husbands, fathers, sons had disappeared. These Coast Guard ships are deployed deep into the Pacific sometimes thousands of miles from the nearest U.S. port, where they're detaining suspected smugglers and holding them aboard these Coast Guard cutters. Senator Ron Wyden (DOregon) said he was sending a letter to Mike McConnell, the director of national intelligence, asking him to instruct Hayden to drop the inquiry. reggie white sarcoidosis. Nevertheless, there are many indications from various sources which must be considered reliable, justifying the continuation of the analytical and investigative work. It remains the only district of Russia where homosexuality is outlawed and punishable with jail time. [11], A European Union (EU) report adopted on February 14, 2007, by a majority of the European Parliament (382 MEPs voting in favor, 256 against and 74 abstaining) stated the CIA operated 1,245 flights and that it was not possible to contradict evidence or suggestions that secret detention centers where prisoners have been tortured were operated in Poland and Romania. Alongside her is Phil Maguire OBE, who has worked in prisons for over 15 years and is the Chief Executive of the Prison Radio Association. The Egyptian security service also operated black sites involved with the CIAs counter-terror black site program. Coast guard cutters on missions to interdict suspected drug smugglers in international waters have become de facto prisons for detainees. Secret prisons in the USA: A current controversy - PravdaReport The report cites airports in Timioara, Romania, and Szymany, Poland, as "detainee transfer/drop-off point[s]". Are they allowed to use a proper bathroom? [21], On April 21, 2006, Mary O. McCarthy, a longtime CIA analyst, was fired for allegedly leaking classified information to a Washington Post reporter, Dana Priest, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her revelations concerning the CIA's black sites. US Suspected of Keeping Secret Prisoners on Warships: UN Official The UN has learned of "very, very serious" allegations that the United States is secretly detaining terrorism suspects in various locations around the world, notably aboard prison ships, the UN's special rapporteur on terrorism said. Eight airports outside Europe are also cited. Top Searches. So, Johnny Arcentales and the other men that I've spoken to know, they're not thinking about where these drugs are going. The report also stated that the site had been used as recently as 2012 by the Obama administration, despite President Obama signing an executive order in 2009 banning the use of black sites by the CIA. [110], Patrick Leahy and John Conyers, chairmen of the respective Senate and House Judiciary committees, requested that the Justice Department turn over documents related to the secret February 2005 legal opinion to their committees for review. [3], US President George W. Bush acknowledged the existence of secret prisons operated by the CIA during a speech on September 6, 2006. Some of the suspected smugglers . [12], In December 2002, The Washington Post reported that "the capture of al Qaeda leaders Ramzi bin al-Shibh in Pakistan, Omar al-Faruq in Indonesia, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in Kuwait and Muhammad al Darbi in Yemen were all partly the result of information gained during interrogations." We all know prisoners are kept locked inside prison cells and monitored 24/7, but have you ever heard of a floating prison? "[25], On July 20, 2007, Bush made an executive order banning torture of captives by intelligence officials. Whatever. [1] A 2021 Associated Press news story defined black sites as "clandestine jails where prisoners generally are not charged with a crime and have no legal recourse, with no bail or court order. He was moved from ship to ship as these Coast Guard cutters went about their patrols, picking up more cocaine in the Pacific Ocean. With the passage of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act of 1986, drug smuggling in international waters became a crime and interdictions expanded farther and farther out to sea. On October 9, 2007, the United States Supreme Court declined without comment to hear an appeal of El-Masri's civil lawsuit against the United States (El-Masri v. Tenet), letting stand an earlier verdict by a federal district court judge, which was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Through the example set by the worlds most influential nations, fundamental human rights principles stand or fall across the world. In an interview, Seth Freed Wessler, who wrote the November 20, 2017 Times article, noted the practice of holding suspects at sea for long periods of time has been condoned by the judicial system. According to the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act of 1986, drug smugglers caught in international waters are considered to be committing a crime against the United States,even when there was no proof that the drugs, often carried on foreign boats, were bound for the United States. In 2002, the site was converted into a detainee center by the CIA, which earmarked more than $200,000 for its construction. [125], Gomes was highly critical of the Portuguese government's reluctance to comply with the European Parliament Commission investigation into the CIA flights, leading to tensions with Foreign Minister Lus Amado, a member of her party. 24, 2022 . [1] A 2021 Associated Press news story defined black sites as "clandestine jails where prisoners generally are not charged with a crime and have no legal recourse, with no bail or court order." He didn't tell anyone and disappeared. The war on drugs has produced the vilest police state one can imagine. By its own admission, the US government is currently detaining at least 26,000 people without trial in secret prisons, and information suggests up to 80,000 have been 'through the system' since 2001. Purportedly sent by the Egyptian embassy in London to foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the document states that 23 Iraqi and Afghan citizens were interrogated at Mihail Koglniceanu base near Constana, Romania. He is a fisherman from a coastal town in Ecuador and was having a particularly, economically, rough year and made a decision to take a job smuggling cocaine off of the coast of Ecuador. Find the latest tracks, albums, and images from Secret Floating Prisons. To some in France, Black Friday is "another English word, it's annoying", How a NAFTA repeal would affect Mexican business depends on who you ask. Ultimately, 26 Americans (mostly suspected CIA agents) and nine Italians were indicted. It's not unheard of for fishermen to disappear in the sea. However, Swiss senator Dick Marty's memorandum on "alleged detention in Council of Europe states" stated that about 100 persons have been kidnapped by the CIA on European territory and subsequently rendered to countries where they may have been tortured. who pays the tax on non qualified 529 distributions . Planning and building a new prison is a time consuming exercise. The report criticized a number of European countries (including Austria, Italy, Poland along with Portugal) for their "unwillingness to co-operate" with investigators and the action of secret services for lack of cooperation with the Parliaments' investigators and acceptal of the illegal abductions. But some of it may be going to other markets, to European markets, to Australian markets or elsewhere. The inquiry is reportedly being overseen by Robert L. Deitz, a lawyer who served as general counsel at the National Security Agency when Michael Hayden ran it, and also includes Michael Morell, the agency's associate deputy director. US Government Caught Operating Floating Black Site Prisons, Torturing Learn how your comment data is processed. In Iraq, Abu Ghraib was disclosed as a black site, and in 2004 was the center of an extensive prisoner abuse scandal. Are they proud of this or are they a little bit wary of what's going on? Surely there are no laws way up there. . The Swiss government did not officially confirm the existence of the report, but started a judiciary procedure for leakage of secret documents against the newspaper on January 9, 2006. Are private prisons safer? [31][32][33] Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in prison on September 23, 2010, following a hearing in which she testified.[34]. The Coast Guard claims they can keep these folks in such torturous conditions because they aren't under arrest until they get back to the United States. In military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black operation or black project is conducted. [95] Several other articles reported the retention of ghost detainees by the CIA, alongside the other official "enemy combatants". 10 Forbidden Destinations That You're Not Allowed To Visit, 10 Secret Prisons Governments Are Hiding From Us, 10 Famous Tech Ceos You Do Not Want To Work For, 10 Strange Cemeteries You'll Be Dying To Visit, Top 10 Amazing Places You Can Visit (In Minecraft), 10 Inescapable Prisons People Somehow Escaped From, 10 Horrifying Stories From Communist Prisons And Labor Camps, 10 Terrifying Bridges You Won't Want To Cross, Ten Absolutely Vicious Fights over Inherited Fortunes, 10 Female Film Pioneers Who Shaped the Movies, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, Top 10 Creepiest and Strangest Homes on Zillow, Top Ten Worst Book to Movie Adaptations Ever Filmed, 10 Reasons New Orleans Is Master of the Macabre, 10 Eerie Ghost Cities Left Behind by the Soviet Union, 10 Horrifying Hospitals You Never Want To Stay In, Top 10 Places Creepier Than Stephen Kings Maine. Gizmodo reports that the largest floating prison in the entire world is currently docked off the Bronx in Long Island Sound. Cardboard, have the actions of the Bush administration given us any reason to believe that this is not true? However, they aren't shackled to the deck of a ship for a few hours or even a few days. The alleged goal of the DST torturers was to extract confessions or information from detainees or to have them sign or thumbprint statements (the content of which the detainee may have no knowledge). likes, 175 loves, 691 comments, 1,8 . He really didn't know all that much about what he was doing. In today's insane new prison vide. [8], Black sites operated by the US government and its surrogates were first officially acknowledged by President George W. Bush in the fall of 2006. This is a practice of detention that until now hasn't really been known. [120], In November 2005, El Pas reported that CIA planes had landed in the Canary Islands and in Palma de Mallorca. Vans from a nearby intelligence base (Stare Kiejkuty) met the aircraft, stayed for a short while and then drove off. So this guy, Arcentales, and another guy they're on a ship. Since then, the site has been used to train Lithuanias state security service. The installation is currently home to roughly 4,000 military personnel and independent contractors. Competitive Shopping. They're simply being held, while the Coast Guard deals with the logistical challenges of trying to get these men onto shore into an airplane and flown to Florida, where they'll be prosecuted. The property was purchased in 2004 by Elite LLC, a company registered in Washington, DC. It also awarded Abu Zubaydah 30,000 euros to cover his costs. [37] Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has denied these reports.[38][39][40][41]. These have been alleged to constitute "severe pain or suffering" under the UN convention, which would be a violation of the treaty and thus US law. In 2015, the airport managed 2,227 flights involving over 63,000 passengers. The Coast Guard was conscripted as the agency empowered to seek out suspected smugglers and bring them to American courts, the Times reports. The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center prison is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest operation prison ship in the world. 1,3 mio. Siddiqui's family maintains that she was abused at Bagram. Is Subject of C.I.A. [7][8], CIA controlled black sites are used by the U.S. government in its War on Terror to detain enemy combatants. Valdas Adamkus, a former president of Lithuania, said he is certain that no alleged terrorists were ever detained on Lithuanian territory. A new viral video reveals what Mormon teens are doing to get around the "no sex" rule: It's penetration without "thrusting," an act known as "soaking" and its hashtag has some 25.5 . He was picked up in September of 2014. And we represent prisoners denied justice in the name of the War on Terror, including those held without charge or trial in Guantnamo Bay and the countless secret prisons beyond. The Parliament also called for the creation of an independent investigation commission and the closure of Guantanamo. Many Americans I speak with don't believe this could . I have evidence of people being held for upwards of 70 days. You know, we stick to U.S. law and our international obligations." Instead, five months after his death, the lead CIA officer who ordered Rahman be chained up was given a $2,500 bonus for consistently superior work.. Are there secret prisons in the United States? (2023) The men said that they were eventually released and given $500 in compensation. The Clive Stafford Smith quoted in the article heads Reprieve-UK, which describes itself as follows: Reprieve provides frontline investigation and legal representation to prisoners denied justice by powerful governments across the world, especially those governments that should be upholding the highest standards when it comes to fair trials. 200 meter long iceburg floating just off the coast: 03/31/05: 2: Is Obama Bin Laden body Floating in the Ocean? Secret prisons reflect a parallel legal system for prisoners who are denied access to communications, deprived of their due process rights, and hidden from public scrutiny. U.S. Coast Guard operating secret floating prisons in Pacific Ocean The CIA and their operatives methods allegedly include waterboarding, sleep deprivation, humiliation, physical beatings, electric shocks, and worse. [3] The report: denounces the lack of co-operation of many member states and of the Council of the European Union with the investigation; Regrets that European countries have been relinquishing control over their airspace and airports by turning a blind eye or admitting flights operated by the CIA which, on some occasions, were being used for illegal transportation of detainees; Calls for the closure of [the US military detention mission in] Guantanamo and for European countries immediately to seek the return of their citizens and residents who are being held illegally by the US authorities; Considers that all European countries should initiate independent investigations into all stopovers by civilian aircraft [hired by] the CIA; Urges that a ban or system of inspections be introduced for all CIA-operated aircraft known to have been involved in extraordinary rendition.[138][139]. These included sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation, keeping prisoners naked indefinitely and photographing them naked to degrade and humiliate them, and forcibly administering drugs by suppositories to further break down their dignity. US Slammed for Secret 'Floating Prisons' Jun 2, 2008 5:07 AM CDT. In a European context, what the U.S. does would not meet the standard, he stated. But the Coast Guard has no clear rules about how long they can hold people. Secret Floating Prisons - Explained | We all know prisoners are kept ", "Bush Defends Treatment of Terrorism Suspects", "Watchdog of C.I.A. **The conspiracy subreddit is a thinking ground. Wojciech Czuchnowski and Jacek Harukowicz, Last edited on 15 February 2023, at 19:30, Learn how and when to remove this template message, United Nations Convention Against Torture, the section below on the media and investigative history, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, European Parliament report of February 2007, International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Message from the Director: Interrogation Policy and Contracts, Extrajudicial prisoners of the United States, Extraordinary rendition by the United States, "The Latin American Exception: How a Washington Global Torture Gulag Was Turned Into the Only Gulag-Free Zone on Earth", "Bush: Top terror suspects to face tribunals", "CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons", "Poland feels sting of betrayal over CIA 'black site', "Black Letter Abuse: the US Legal Response to torture since 9/11", "US Torture: Voices from the Black Sites", "Bush admits CIA held terrorism suspects outside U.S.", "Sources Tell ABC News Top Al Qaeda Figures Held in Secret CIA Prisons", "US Groups Hail Censure of Washington's "Terror War", "Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 19 of the Convention: Conclusions and recommendations of the Committee against Torture", 'Rendition' does not involve torture, says Rice, "U.S. Decries Abuse but Defends Interrogations", "Colleagues Say C.I.A. [75], There are other reported sites in Ukraine,[70] who denied hosting any such sites,[76] and North Macedonia. In their report, they've also stated that a huge number of those people are held on ships that are known as "floating prisons". [66][67], While the revelation was expected to cause considerable embarrassment for both governments, UK officials were expected to face considerable exposure since they had previously quelled public outcry over U.S. detainee abuse by falsely reassuring the public no U.S. detainment camps were housed on any UK bases or territories. Presenter Paula Harriott is Head of Prisoner Engagement for the Prison Reform Trust, having spent time behind bars. It probably referred to a statement by controversial Senator and Great Romania party leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor.[137]. Required fields are marked *. 12/07/22: 3: U.S. Coast Guard operating secret floating prisons in Pacific Ocean: 05/31/18: 4: Conspiracy my ass!!! Metal containers at Bagram Air Base were reported to be black sites. It has been said that you can judge a society by how it treats people accused of violating its laws. In May 2018, the BBC reported that the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base was the location of the black site used to interrogate Abu Zubaydah, a 31-year-old Saudi-born Palestinian, believed to be one of Osama Bin Laden's top lieutenants. It's out of their control after that, but we're arresting people in international waters, often on foreign boats, thousands of miles from the United States. 1.3M views, 5.4K likes, 174 loves, 691 comments, 1.8K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Infographics Show: We all know prisoners are kept locked inside prison cells and monitored 24/7, but have. [80] The allegations resulted in a parliamentary inquiry, and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskait stated that she had "indirect suspicions" about a black site in her country. [129][130], The future robustness of the highly secret investigation, in progress since 2008, may however be in some doubt. human rights violations - News Stories About human rights violations Next up in 5. During this period, there were several incidents of torture and prisoner abuse, though they were related to non-secret prisoners, and not the CIA-operated portion of the prison. Castle on the Sea You can find the Castle on the Sea if you travel northwest from the Port Town Dock. All of this horrific torture and inhumane treatment is done under the guise of protecting Americans. In today's insane new prison video we're going aboard the secret prison ships were prisoners are chained the the deck of a ship and forced to endure the harsh conditions at sea. bzmy.mandalacenter.us According to research carried out by Reprieve, the US may have used as many as 17 ships as floating prisons since 2001. [61] The Temara interrogation centre, 8 kilometres (5mi) outside the Moroccan capital, Rabat, is cited as one such site. In August 2018, the Royal Thai Army announced that another suspected Udon Thani black site, the former Ramasun Station, would be turned into a tourist attraction. The question about the legality of the U.S. Coast Guard's detention practices has not been raised, in an international context, in criminal courts. [112] On October 5, 2007, President George W. Bush responded, saying "This government does not torture people. Wilkerson stated that this was done by the CIA in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Stafford Smith also said that up to 17 ships have been used as floating prisons, beyond the . On January 22, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order requiring the CIA to use only the 19 interrogation methods outlined in the United States Army Field Manual "unless the Attorney General with appropriate consultation provides further guidance". US Accused of Regime of Secret Floating Prisons. In 2003, Morocco was examined by the UN Committee against Torture. CIA detainees were subjected to coercive interrogation techniques that had not been approved by the Department of Justice or had not been authorized by CIA Headquarters. The Coast Guard adds that it shackles detainees and conceals them while in port for their own safety and the safety of the crew. US Coast Guard Operates Secret Floating Prisons In Pacific Ocean [84], After the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, the president of Poland between 1995 and 2005, Alexander Kwasniewski, admitted that he had agreed to host a secret CIA black site in Poland, but that activities were to be carried out in accordance to Polish law. Wessler explained thatJhonny Arcentales, a fisherman who was paid to drive a boat South America and Central American, was caught up in one of these busts. The group claimed that these secret detention facilities intentionally held prisoners, including political opponents, civilians, opinion-makers. [136], On June 27, 2007, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted on Resolution 1562 and Recommendation 1801 backing the conclusions of the report by Dick Marty. Zubaydah was reportedly waterboarded so severely that bubbles would rise out of his open mouth. You write about some Ecuadorians who are out there transporting drugs and they end up shackled for many, many days on a Coast Guard boat. This was apparently due to a misunderstanding that arose concerning the similarity of the spelling of El-Masri's name with the spelling of suspected terrorist Khalid al-Masri. It's not always clear that the drugs are coming here and, in fact, the circuit court in California has said that the U.S. can't prosecute these cases unless they can prove that the drugs were headed to the United States that they actually intended to to show up there. This is a Coast Guard ship and they're basically exposed to the elements and basically shackled and not getting much food. 7. Answer (1 of 3): They did back in the Victorian era like when San Quentin was a ship anchored in the harbor before the prison was built.. the prisoners built the prison and started with the C.O's Barricks first. [45] Some Guantanamo Bay detainees report being tortured in a prison they called "the dark prison", also near Kabul. Because it's honestly a show about grown men, running a pawn shop, trying to do all they can to get both interesting items, and items that can make them a. Located at Djiboutis Ambouli International Airport is Camp Lemonnier, a US Naval Expeditionary Base. More:U.S. Coast Guard operating secret floating prisons in Pacific Ocean. "That's a pretty good example of taking something to the darkest corner of the room and not reflective of what my agency does" Hayden told one person from a human rights organization.[27]. The CIA's justification for the use of its enhanced interrogation techniques rested on inaccurate claims of their effectiveness. However, it was the revelations of The Washington Post, in a November 2, 2005, article, that would start the scandal. The detainees have been imprisoned for more than a year despite the Hadhramout Specialized Criminal Court granting their release. Lets see. An investigation carried out by reporters for the Associated Press led to the news organization revealing on Thursday that in the years. 's secret interrogation program", "Senate Intelligence Panel Seeks CIA Nominee's Withdrawal", "Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations", "Congress Seeks Justice Dept. However, the officer said it was unlikely either man knew if the prisoners were being tortured because the Poles had no control over the Americans' activities. The US government must show a commitment to rights and basic humanity by .