The Associated Press reports Thursday that it has accessed documents under Canada's Freedom of Information Act that reveal 74 "CIA planes" have landed in Canada since 9/11. Were these planes part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" (torture flights) practices?
One memo dated Nov. 28 instructed officials to tell the media that there was "no credible information to suggest that these planes were used to ferry suspected terrorists to and from Canada, or that illegal activity took place."
A spokesman for the CIA in Washington declined comment on Thursday.
U.S. intelligence officials have said in the past that the planes are more likely to be carrying staff, supplies or Director Porter Goss on his way to a foreign visit.
Not only did the media use that "no credible information..." line, under repeated and unrelenting questioning during the 2005 fall session of the Canadian Parliament, then Liberal Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Anne McClennan, continually towed the line as well. It wasn't reassuring then and it certainly isn't now.
Can we trusted newly elected Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper to get to the bottom of this? Will he bring it up with President Bush? Now that the Conservatives are in power, will they open an inquiry into these CIA flights? I think it's time that all Canadians hold Harper's feet to the fire and demand that this be investigated.
Contact the Conservative Party and/or your Member of Parliament immediately and ask that they gather the facts about these flights. Canadians deserve to know if our country is complicit in US torture flights. We'll certainly never get any answers from the Bush administration.
(hat tip to The Galloping Beaver for the heads up on this story)
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