Company accused of providing flight and logistical support
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit alleging that Boeing's Jeppesen Dataplan 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 last week at the US 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 US government's extraordinary rendition programme".
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".
The suit alleges that Jeppesen provided detailed flight planning, "including itinerary, route, weather and fuel planning" for flights. Jeppesen has "established co-operative relationships with virtually every government worldwide allowing it to get the necessary overflight and landing permits for aircraft involved in the rendition plan", says the ACLU.
The ACLU also alleges that Jeppesen, "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".
The ACLU's executive director Anthony Romero says: "Corporations should not be profiting from a CIA rendition programme that is unlawful and contrary to core American values. Corporations that choose to participate in such activity can and should be legally accountable."
Jeppesen parent Boeing says the company "doesn't typically comment on court cases" and will not confirm the CIA as a customer.
Source: Flight International
