Strasbourg, 18/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The use of torture by the US intelligence agency should never happen again and does not have any place in the world or in the EU.
These commitments were reiterated on Wednesday 17 December in Strasbourg by MEPs, the Commission and Italian presidency, during a debate on revelations by US senators regarding the violent practices and degrading use of torture by the CIA following the attacks on 11 September 2001. Moving beyond words, however, is difficult because the room for manoeuvre MEPs have, remains limited and once again, they have only been able to appeal to member states in the EU to highlight their own practices and collaboration with the government of George W Bush during the response undertaken against Al Qaeda.
The European Parliament has already looked at this question and the secret CIA flights in Europe in 2006, as part of a special commission of enquiry. The initial report adopted in 2007 called on the countries involved, particularly Poland, Romania, Lithuanian and the United Kingdom and Italy, to carry out independent enquiries into their supposed complicity with the US government. Another follow-up report was adopted in 2013.
As the end of 2014 draws near, some MEPs are still not satisfied with the answers given by member states, despite the fact that since then Poland has admitted participating. Italy is itself taking CIA agents to court over this issue. The Slovenian Social Democrat, Tanja Fajon, reiterated the need for member states to bring all the different officials who are guilty of complicity with CIA practices, to justice. MEPs believe that it is crucial that the fight against terrorism is done legally and on the basis of international law. A representative from the ECR group said that this was essential if they were going to be able to maintain the trust of their citizens. The GUE/NGL group said that closing down Guantanamo had now become increasingly urgent. Speaking on behalf of the Greens/EFA, Eva Joly, deplored the fact that, “there is nothing new in this report, other than confirmation of the torture” carried out. She added that, “member states must assume their responsibility and the EP must continue its investigatory work to shed light on what has happened”.
Certain dissenting voices, however, managed to get a hearing, particularly MEPs who were non-attached, and who deemed that the CIA had, “done what it needed to do”. A resolution on the subject will be put to the vote in the February plenary. (SP)