The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit today in federal court alleging that Boeing’s Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc. subsidiary knowingly participated in the US government’s unlawful “extraordinary rendition,” or transport, of CIA prisoners to secret locations around the globe.
In a complaint filed yesterday at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the ACLU alleges that “Jeppesen, through its travel service known as Jeppesen International Trip Planning, has been a main provider of flight and logistical support services for aircraft used by the CIA in the U.S. government's extraordinary rendition program.”
The lawsuit charges that Jeppesen “knowingly provided direct flight services to the CIA that enabled the clandestine transportation of terrorism suspects Binyam Mohamed, Abou Elkassim Britel and Ahmed Agiza to secret overseas locations where they were subjected to torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.”
Specifically, the suit alleges that Jeppeson provided detailed flight planning, “including itinerary, route, weather and fuel planning” for flights to countries where clandestine prisoners were interrogated and tortured.
Jeppeson has “established cooperative relationships with virtually every government worldwide allowing it to get the necessary overflight and landing permits for aircraft involved in the rendition plan,” said the ACLU.
The ACLU also alleges that Jeppeson, “through its global network of local handling agents, has facilitated essential customs clearance in the countries of operation and made arrangements for ground transportation, catering, and hotel accommodation for aircraft crew, as well as physical security for the aircraft and crew.”
"American corporations should not be profiting from a CIA rendition programme that is unlawful and contrary to core American values," said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU.
"Corporations that choose to participate in such activity can and should be held legally accountable."
Tim Neale, spokesman for Jeppesen parent Boeing, had no comment on the suit, adding that the company “doesn’t typically comment on court cases.”
He said the company would not confirm the CIA as a customer, since Jeppeson prefers to keep its customers confidential.
Jeppesen DataPlan offers a long list of flight planning services, including flight plans, weather reports and other logistical support. Customers come “with an aircraft and a pilot,” Neale said.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
