It's fine to note that the EU did condemn the CIA's 1,000-plus renditions.
But, in doing so, and even though he bolded the relevant sentence in the story, Armando drove right past what is itself a major news item -- the EU's hypocrisy on this issue.
Armando quotes:
Legislators selected to look into allegations of questionable CIA activities in Europe said flight data showed a pattern of hidden operations by American agents, and they accused some European governments of knowing about it but remaining silent.
(Armando's emphasis)
But, Armando just goes right by this. He ignores the fact that this is pretty close to the pot calling the kettle black.
More below the fold.
Read
here for more on the clear possibility that Germany, at least, not only knew about these rendition flights long ago, but even cooperated in them, as the the Khaled El-Masri rendition makes clear.
To quote from my blog:
Germany's three opposition parties have forced the opening of a Reichstag investigation. The leading party in the current ruling coalition, the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union, not pushing for the investigation doesn't surprise me. But, that the Social Democrats, the party of former Chancellor (during the time of el Masri and other renditions) Gerhard Schroeder also not pushing for the investigation is a silence that speaks loudly.
We know, beyond that, as Alex Cockburn has written elsewhere, that France gave us a backdoor OK for the invasion of Iraq and Germany gave us logistical support on the QT.
Folks, without buying into every, or even close to every Rummy characterization of the "old Europe," Europe has often let us do a lot of the dirty work in various arenas of international affairs. Until the European tiger puts on new stripes, never forget that.
Please, stop holding up EU countries as some ideal of enlightenment vis-à-vis the U.S. If the CIA has brought disgrace on our country, to the degree countries of Europe cooperated, they brought disgrace on themselves.