BF2S Forums I am Not a State Secret

From the article:
"During my visit in November, many Americans offered me their personal apologies for the brutality that had been perpetrated against me in their name. I saw in their faces the true America, an America that is not held captive by fear of unknown enemies and that understands the strength and power of justice. That is the America that, I hope, one day will see me as a human being — not a state secret."

it only contributes to Americas growing negative image
well that and grossly violates basic human rights of course

Well, that was retarded of us.

Way to go federal government, good to know you're still trying to win over peoples hearts and minds!  I personally cant think of a more effective way to do it.  Giving people free airfare and hotel for a 4 month vacation!  Why don't they do that for us?? (sarcasm)

SuperSlowYo wrote:

taking people to the middle of nowhere and dropping them off is hilarious.. we did it with these whores once it was gold.. atleast buddy has a cool new story to tell.. what an adventure

hes not the first guy to be treated like shit by accident and he wont be the last.. things like this just happen sometimes, this is just "oops" on a gigantic scale.. its happened to so many people there is no solution to this problem just hope it doesnt happen to you.. the world is not perfect and never will be isnt life a b!tch

"things like this just happen sometimes, this is just "oops" on a gigantic scale.. its happened to so many people there is no solution to this problem just hope it doesnt happen to you.."

Actually the solution is to NOT violate human rights.  I agree mistakes happen, even gigantic "oops" happen.  But with these kinds of reports coming out every week it seems, there is a huge problem.

"the true America, an America that is not held captive by fear of unknown enemies and that understands the strength and power of justice."

Unfortunately manyAmericans do seem to be held captive by fear.  Thats why the Patriot Act was pushed through.  It goes back to the old saying "those who give up liberty for security deserve neither".  To me the ones withut fear are the ones that are NOT afraid to question their gov't, even after being called a terrorist or unpatriotic or a wing nut conspiracy theorist.

Braddock wrote:

KEN JENNINGS wrote:

I Am Not A State Secret-

KHALED EL-MASRI, a German citizen born in Lebanon, was a car salesman before he was detained in December 2003

ON NEW YEAR'S EVE in 2003, I was seized at the border of Serbia and Macedonia by Macedonian police who mistakenly believed that I was traveling on a false German passport. I was detained incommunicado for more than three weeks. Then I was handed over to the American Central Intelligence Agency and was stripped, severely beaten, shackled, dressed in a diaper, injected with drugs, chained to the floor of a plane and flown to Afghanistan, where I was imprisoned in a foul dungeon for more than four months.

Long after the American government realized that I was an entirely innocent man, I was blindfolded, put back on a plane, flown to Europe and left on a hilltop in Albania — without any explanation or apology for the nightmare that I had endured...

Discuss the ramifications of the US Government indiscriminately detaining subjects incommunicado.

Also, how many more times to how many more people do you think this has happened?

I'm glad we got rid of that of that Saddam Hussein dictator guy, I hate people who have no respect for human rights...

LOL,  exactly.  The allies or "coalition of the willing" really seem like a kettle calling a pot black.  Its the usual hipocrasy behind the entire western world.  You cant do it because we dont trust you but you HAVE TO trust us because we are "the good guys".

This isn't about the war in Iraq.  It is about an industrialized nation (and probably the most powerful in the world) showing a wanton disregard for human rights.  Then after the lawlessness and disregard are proved to be without merit, the inanity of the American Government in dropping him off on a cliff in Albania, and the lack of oversight of such actions in the American Legal System.

Last edited by KEN-JENNINGS (2007-03-08 11:38:43)

Well if it was a true story im pretty sure it would have been easier and safer to just kill him and dump the body.
Lets face it, just like any government, the US has a very dark side, and somethings are better off never seeing the light of day.  If this did happen, the guy would have been shot and disposed of innocent or not.

Vilham wrote:

It has happened. Multiple times...

Just like people swear up and down they have been abducted by aliens , anal probed and left in the middle of nowhere to walk home violated, and ashamed. 
Please just because someone says they were abducted by the us, does not mean it actually happend, people make shit up, for money, and other reasons.  If the US is so bad ass that its gonna abduct torture,beat, imprison and what not, dont you think it would be easier to just kill the guy and dump his body?
Why leave a possible witness to crimes alive?  Everyone already thinks the CIA are the most evil sons-a-bitches since the gestapo. So why not just double tap the forehead and dump them in a river?

Sometimes people need to think before speaking.  I'm not saying it didnt happen...but what makes this guy so damned credible?

I agree with the Fodder's post. It is amazing how fast the media and people in general will jump on the word of one person who claims this stuff. Proof? Everybody needs to realize that there have been several people recently found out not to be who they claimed they were and many people believed every word they said until they were exposed. I am not going to quote or post links, its pretty easy to find, one incident just happened last week. I am sure that EVERY government is NOT innocent when it comes to dealing with suspects, spies..etc. EVERY country has a dark, secret side. We are no different, but of course we are the first to be called "evil" and people are "shocked" and "appalled".  I love how this post is strictly about bashing the United States solely based on the word of someone that NOBODY knows ANYTHING about and its funny how fast some of you jump on his words and join the bandwagon.

This post automatically assumes that this story is factual and only offers discussion on how bad the US is. This post should really ask if this is even true and like the old saying goes: When you Assume, you make an ass out of you and me. Finally, it really is amazing that our ultra secret deviant war against the innocent(sarc) is so easily exposed. The CIA on the one hand pulls off such secretive, brutal operations but is so stupid to release someone to tell the world about it. Does that make any sense.....Jeez. I agree with Fodder's post completely.

Spark wrote:

The right is very quiet on this issue. Come on, speak up!

Most are sleeping I believe

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4504292.stm -

"The case was discussed earlier in Berlin by the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Secretary of State Rice.
Mrs Merkel said the US acknowledged making a mistake in detaining Mr Masri."

From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co … 02107.html -

He was held for five months largely because the head of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center's al-Qaeda unit "believed he was someone else," a former CIA official last year said on condition of anonymity.

"German investigators have confirmed most of Masri's allegations, which have received extensive publicity in Europe. In December, a senior Bush administration official traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said U.S. officials had told the Germans that Masri was released because the intelligence was insufficient to justify his detention."

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7591918/ -

"Many of El-Masri’s claims have been confirmed, but until now it was not known what had actually gone wrong. Now NBC News has learned key details of the CIA operation, how the mistake was discovered, and how top officials in the US government, including Tenet and Condoleezza Rice were briefed"

This has been extensively covered.  He definitely was held without charge for at least 5 months.

I dunno still seems fishy.  Why take him to "the secret lair", beat, torture and then just let him go.  Even Dr. Evil is not that stupid.

theDude5B wrote:

It just goes to show that this world is so god dam shitty now that this thing has happened and will happen many more times. No one trusts anyone anymore and thinks that everyone is a terrorist.

Thats because this shit is spreading hate. what was started on 9/11 was more then a simple attack.  It was the begining of an age of hate and fear. Fear is a great motivator.  Terrorists reached out and touched america. America responded in its normal heavy handed fashion.  Hate is the offshoot of fear.  Now people are overracting to small things in a way they normally would not.  Not much you or I can do about it. Sure you can log into forums and cry about it, but is that going to change anything?

All anyone can do is hope the heads of state pull they're heads from they're asses and start acting as if tomarrow depends on todays actions.  Because it does.  What we do today effects the world tomarrow.  Well Bush is on his way out, Blair is gone, Saddam is dead, now if all the other wackos would just refrain from pissing everyone else off we should be good.