[Mediconlinee]

As a European based great lover of NYC I wanted to get your perspective on this. I and most of the people I know work in the airline industry. We all know the operators who fly "discrete" charters for unusual clients, mostly "freight" from Eastern Europe to African states using unmarked aircraft; it's an every day part of the business. Recently it has become common currency that the CIA or US government agencies operate what has become known as "Torture Express" aircraft (we know the aircraft and their reg. numbers) to ferry "suspects" around Europe and the rest of the world.

The appleation "Torture Express" is being applied because these flights have been observed loading "passengers" sometimes dressed in the requisite orange boiler suits with flight plans to Eastern Europe and North African states which it is acknowledged have somewhat dubious interrogation practices which would not be countenanced in the US or Western Europe.

The UK government, when questioned if it countenanced torture replied NO but when asked if evidenced obtained under torture would be acceptable, obfuscated.

The accusation is that the US government is taking people from the streets of Europe without any legal process to "friendly" states where they can be held indeffinitly and subjected to any level of torture without recourse. I guess it is being justified (if acknowledged at all) by reffering us to 9/11.

Please do not take this is an anti-American rant; I speak as a person whose girlfriend could have been on the bus blown up by Islamic extremists in London on 7/7. For what it is worth, we in the airline business whilst realists (for obvious reasons) take the view that we now have more than terrorists to fear and revile; now it is the governments too. I wanted to get your views as more than most, if done at all it is being done in your name.....

As a post script to this, here in the UK today we celebrate the prevention of a terrorist plot by religous extremeists to blow up the houses of parliament, the monarchy and the entire English establishment in order to establish a relgious state. The plot (402 years ago today) was uncovered by the torturing of one Guido Fawkes by the government in the Tower of London. His effigy will be burnt on bonfires througut the country tonight as it has been these past 400 years. Plus Ca Change as the French would say...