Brussels, 08/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - Dick Marty's final report on alleged CIA flights transporting terrorism suspects “confirms what our committee has been saying for months: there was complicity on the part of several European countries in these clandestine and illegal operations organised by the CIA after 9/11,” said Claudio Fava (PES, Italy), rapporteur for the European Parliament's temporary committee on this affair, in a press release. “I am not surprised that Italy is among the countries accused by Marty,” he added, hoping that the new Italian Justice Minister would finally accept to the “extradition request presented by the Milan judges for the twenty two agents incriminated” in the abduction of Abu Omar. The Fava report, which instances 1,080 illegal CIA flights, will be adopted by the temporary committee in Strasbourg on Monday.
German Green MEP and Deputy Chairman of the temporary committee Cem Özdemir says in a press release that all the countries named in the Marty report must set up their own committees of enquiry, to shed light on “governments' scandalous collaboration” with the CIA. He also insisted on the strict application of the Chicago Convention on international air traffic, so that, in future, EU Member States check carefully whether civil aircraft have been used for ends that that could not be reconciled with human rights. Austrian Green MEP Johannes Voggenhuber said that the Marty report was another reason to adopt a binding European Charter of Fundamental Rights within the European Constitution. German Liberal MEP Alexander Alvaro highlighted the importance of the work of the committee of enquiry set up by the Bundestag, following these revelations. He felt that the Marty report suggested that it was impossible for the current German Foreign Minister and former head of the Kanzleramt, Steinmeier, “not to have known”: and if this was the case, “he can no longer continue as Minister,” said the FDP MEP (whose party is in opposition in Germany).
The leader of the ALDE group, Graham Watson, welcomed the Marty report. “Mr Marty has done the work that needed to be done,” he told a group of journalists. Even if the report does not contain formal proof of the official involvement of European countries, “his conclusions mean that the burden of proof is now with the governments of the fourteen European countries” implicated by the Council of Europe rapporteur, said Mr Watson, adding, “Romania and Poland in particular clearly have questions to answer”. In more general terms, Mr Watson, who was Chairman of the civil liberties committee, fears that, in terms of civil liberties, Europeans will have to live “at least for a generation” with the negative consequences of the fight against terrorism. The EU should make use of the Court of Justice ruling annulling the EU-United States agreement on the transfer of personal data of passengers (see EUROPE 9201) to open a “wide-ranging debate (with Washington) on civil liberties within the framework of the fight against terrorism,” he opined.
Elmar Brok says Marty report should not have negative effect
on Romania's accession
The Chairman of the foreign affairs committee Elmar Brok says he is confident that allegations against Romania in the Marty report have “no negative effect on the actual status of Romania's application for accession”. In a press release, he says, “Even if there had been a violation of the rule of law in this question, I believe it would not fall under the responsibility of the present government, anyway”.