Says Boeing Subsidiary Responsible For So-Called 'Torture' Flights

Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen Dataplan has helped the CIA secretly fly terrorism suspects to be tortured in overseas prisons under an "extraordinary rendition" program, a former Jepp employee testified in recent to court documents. 

A suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court Friday clams Jeppesen Dataplan enabled the clandestine transport of five terrorism suspects to overseas locations, where they were subjected to "forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment."

The US government wants a federal judge to toss the lawsuit out on the basis that opening up the case in court will release state secrets, according to the Associated Press. The ACLU contends the clandestine transfer of terrorism suspects to US-run overseas prisons or foreign intelligence agencies, known as extraordinary rendition, is already a matter of public record "confirmed by documentary evidence and eyewitness testimony," in the suit filed on December, 14.

The ACLU also offered testimony from a former Jeppesen employee, who said the company spoke openly of its role in extraordinary rendition.

"Bob Overby, the director of Jeppesen International Trip Planning Service, told new employees during an introductory breakfast that 'we do all the extraordinary rendition flights,'" according to a statement by Sean Belcher, a former technical writer for Jeppesen in San Jose.

According to Belcher’s statement, "When some employees looked puzzled at the statement, Overby added that he was referring to "torture flights."

"Overby then said he understood some employees were not comfortable with that aspect of Jeppesen's business but added "that's just the way it is, we're doing them," and that the rendition flights paid very well," according to Belcher’s statement.

Five detainees have agreed with allegations of the suit through their families, and lawyers and say that they were tortured and abused against accepted standards.

ACLU cases were filed based on the alleged renditions of Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian citizen, in July 2002 and January 2004; Elkassim Britel, an Italian citizen, in May 2002; and Ahmed Agiza, an Egyptian citizen, in December 2001; Bisher Al-Rawi, an Iraqi citizen in December 2002 and Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah, a Yemeni citizen, in October 2003 and April 2004.

Jeppesen has not commented on the allegations.

FMI: www.aclu.org, http://cfs.jeppesen.com/