how charming...

[takao]

stumbeled across reading the english subsite of german "Spiegel" homepage few minutes ago...

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,341636,00.html

link in english
title: TERROR AND DIPLOMACY - The US Stands Accused of Kidnapping
Subtitle: "The case is extremely sensitive. A German citizen may have been kidnapped by American agents and illegally taken to Afghanistan. Now, German authorities are quietly investigating the case. But no one here wants it to interfere with US-Germany rapprochement."

[Xtremehkr]

This story is worthy of being Kossed. Great find.

[Peterkro]

That story has been featured in the Guardian including a two page write up in G2. The sounds of various German and US authorities trying to bury it are ominous.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1390080,00.html

[skunk]

"Beacon of Liberty", eh?

[Thanatoast]

I can't even think of a snarky reply for this horror. It makes me feel ****** that I believe my own government ,the Bush Administration, is perfectly capable of such deplorable acts. The American people have shown themselves to be perfectly willing to remain ignorant of any alleged improprieties, and unwilling to speak against such things, unwilling to even believe them when stories like this pop up. When will the rest of the world demand accountability from George W and his cronies? It's not going to come from our quarter any time soon. :( :mad: :mad: :mad:

[skunk]

I can't even think of a snarky reply for this horror. It makes me feel ****** that I believe my own government ,the Bush Administration, is perfectly capable of such deplorable acts. The American people have shown themselves to be perfectly willing to remain ignorant of any alleged improprieties, and unwilling to speak against such things, unwilling to even believe them when stories like this pop up. When will the rest of the world demand accountability from George W and his cronies? It's not going to come from our quarter any time soon. :( :mad: :mad: :mad:
The horrifying part is the quiescence of US public opinion and the cravenness of the political opposition. Your country has become a monster, and its ideals are revealed as nothing but a cynical contrivance.

[IJ Reilly]

I have to notice that the Guardian story treats everything this individual says as a fact, not an allegation, and even closes with someone being quoted as believing the story to be true absent any corroboration. I think that's a pretty poor example of journalism. Even more sadly, I believe it is part-and-parcel of the low esteem to which the US is now held abroad that a horror story of this kind must be proven untrue rather than the other way round.

[Peterkro]

I have to notice that the Guardian story treats everything this individual says as a fact, not an allegation, and even closes with someone being quoted as believing the story to be true absent any corroboration. I think that's a pretty poor example of journalism. Even more sadly, I believe it is part-and-parcel of the low esteem to which the US is now held abroad that a horror story of this kind must be proven untrue rather than the other way round.
Reading the interview the writer makes it clear there is so far no corroberating evidence but is saying it deserves further investigation.If you interview someone you can only report what they say.I agree it was unclear who the investigator Hoffman is.
Quote from article:
What really happened? With no way to prove his story, el-Masri's account remains in the balance, a terrifying snapshot of America's "war on terror". It is certain that he returned home to Ulm from Albania in May 2004, and that he was taken off a bus from Germany at the Macedonian border on New Year's Eve 2003. The only person who has offered a clear explanation for what happened in the five months in between is el-Masri himself. Yet that may change.

[IJ Reilly]

The article begins by clearly stating this is one man's story and hasn't been corroborated, but then treats everything after he was taken off the bus as a fact.

He was taken to a room with a table and chairs where four men whom he took to be Slavic searched his luggage and questioned him in poor English, asking him about links to Islamic organisations.

And so on. The writer obviously believes this man's story, and he might even have good reason to do so, but as a journalist he needed put some emotional distance between himself and his subject, and this he has failed to do IMO.

[skunk]

The article begins by clearly stating this is one man's story and hasn't been corroborated, but then treats everything after he was taken off the bus as a fact.

....

The writer obviously believes this man's story, and he might even have good reason to do so, but as a journalist he needed put some emotional distance between himself and his subject, and this he has failed to do IMO.
Would you be satisfied if every reported detail was prefaced by "He alleged that..."? Isn't a clear reference to a lack of corroboration enough?