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European Parliament (EP) members put up hands to approve a report on the illegal operations in Europe by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in Strasbourg, France, on Feb. 14, 2007. The EP plenary session on Wednesday adopted the final report on CIA illegal operations in Europe. (Xinhua Photo/Xu Jinquan) Photo Gallery>>> |
ATHENS,
Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Greece and Cyprus are among 14 EU member-states suspected of
turning a blind eye to secret CIA flights taking terror suspects to countries
where they could face torture, according to a report approved by a majority of
MEPs in the European Parliament on Wednesday.
The EU parliament voted to accept a resolution
condemning member states who accepted or ignored the practice, according to
Athens News Agency reports.
The EU report said the U.S. had operated 1,200
flights, flying suspects on to states where they could face torture.
The report was adopted by a large majority, with 382
MEPs voting in favor, 256 against and 74 abstaining.
A paragraph referring to Greece said that aircraft
used by the CIA had made 64 stops in Greek airports. It expressed grave concerns
regarding the purpose of flights coming from or flying to countries linked to
the CIA's "extraordinary renditions" circuit, as the prisoner transfers were
termed.
In the case of Cyprus, the report pointed to 57 stops
at Cyprus airports of CIA-operated planes.
It is unlikely, the report said, that European
governments were unaware of rendition activities on their territory.
European Commission for Justice Franco Frattini said
the message from the report was a need for "greater and closer Euro Atlantic
cooperation," greater cooperation with the U.S. in the name of two principles --
"security and mutual respect".
Related:
EU assembly adopts report condemning illegal CIA
flights
STRASBOURG, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The plenary session
of the European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday adopted a final report condemning
U.S. secret flights in Europe by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The report as a whole, which was adopted with 382 votes in favor in the 732-seat parliament, concluded a year of investigations into allegations that the U.S. agency secretly held terror suspects in Europe and flew some to states that practise torture.
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