Another Day, Another CIA Secret

From today's San Francisco Chronicle:
Washington -- The Bush administration's policies for holding and detaining suspected terrorists came under sharp scrutiny and criticism Wednesday after disclosure that the CIA has set up covert prisons in several Eastern European democracies and other countries.

The U.N. special rapporteur on torture said he will seek more information about the covert prisons, referred to in classified documents as "black sites." Congressional Democrats and human rights groups warned that the secret system will damage the U.S. image overseas.

A couple of questions, if I may...

Where was the U.N. special rapporteur when Saddam Hussein was running his secret prisons? Has the U.N. special rapporteur been to inspect Castro's prisons in Cuba? What about Argentina? Russia? Somalia? Rwanda? China? North Korea? Or does the U.N. special rapporteur only check out democratic countries who regularly hang out their dirty laundry for all to see? If that's the case, why do we need a special rapporteur? Couldn't the U.N. save the money spent on salary, staff, and travel and use it for AIDS education or vaccinations or the eradication of Female Genital Mutation? (And why isn't NOW making a fuss about FGM? But I digress...)

Congressional Democrats warned that the secret system will damage the U.S. image overseas? Isn't the U.S. "The Great Satan" anyway? How much more damage to our image can possibly be done? With friends like the Congressional Democrats (I wonder which ones), who needs enemies anyway?

Manfred Nowak, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, said he had heard allegations of secret detention facilities sponsored by the United States, but had not heard of any in Eastern Europe before Wednesday.

"Every secret place of detention is usually a higher risk for ill treatment. That's the danger of secrecy," Nowak said, adding that he wants to pursue access to all U.S. detention facilities outside its territory.

Nowak and his predecessor have been trying to gain access to the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay since it opened in early 2002.

Right. So why is Mr. Nowak wasting his time on the U.S.? Why isn't he checking out the detention facilities of Al Queda? Isn't beheading usually considered torture and "ill-treatment"?
And since when has the facility at Guantanamo Bay been secret? I thought the entire world knew about it, thanks to the MSM and their never-ending quest for Truth and Justice.

We might as well shut down the CIA. Not only is there a freeway sign to their office in Langley, VA, they can't seem to keep their mouths shut about anything anymore.

"Wild Bill" Donovan is rolling in his grave.

(H/T: Dr. Sanity)