Kidnapped by the CIA!!!

In December of 2003 a Muslim man of Lebanese heritage who is a German citizen named Khaled el-Masri ended up at a CIA isolation cell in Afghanistan when he was just trying to board a bus in Macedonia while on vacation. The claim was he was a suspected terrorist. He was held in this space for five months until he was released on a hill in Albania and told not to say anything about his experience after they realized they had aprehended the wrong man. He was given no reason justifying the incident or apology for inconveniencing him to a high degree.

Masri's lawyers are now saying that Masri was kidnapped by the CIA and interrogated as well as being tortured by 13 CIA members. Masri and his lawyers filed a suit in a Virginia court. This case however would be dismissed because it may have jeopardized the securityoperations of the United States. This is the doing of the state-security privilige which states that a case can be dismissed if it puts nation security of the United States in danger. Masri's lawyers say that Masri does not want to disclose secrets, but the US government finds this too risky knowing this case would requie the releasing of tactics used by the CIA dealing with the war with terror.

Although the US is using the excuse of state-security prvilege many see this as the government's way of covering up their illegally detaining and torturing Masri. Masri then filed a case in federal court. However, the United States explained to the judge how this case could disclose information on how the US rages the war on terror and gave the judge a classified affidavit that Masri's lawyer was not allowed to see. The judge then dismissed the case.

Masri has now appealed to the Supreme Court where he is now asked the justices to examine the US use of the state-security privilege to see if it was just. However, the Bush administration is requesting the Supreme Court not hear Masri's case. This case has raised issues on fairness and executing human rights. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice explained the Bush administration's position by saying, "When and if mistakes are made, we work very hard and as quickly as possible to rectify them," to a 2005 press conference in Berlin. However, there has been no attempt by the Bush Administration to apologize to Masri and punish the 13 members of the CIA involved.