The Ghost Detainees

The AFP reports on the existance of CIA "ghost detainees," high profile detainees who the Intelligence Agency believes it can interrogate in full secrecy for more information. The number of these detainees is unknown, although some are held at Bagram air base in Afghanistan, on the remote Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean, and a restricted zone at Guantanamo Bay. Rights groups are clamoring for more information about these men, who they believe many be subjected to torture.

"Unless we can get access to information about who these people are and where they are being held, they will remain completely vulnerable to abuse and even torture," said Rachel Meeropol, a Center for Constitutional Rights lawyer.

The CCR delivered an official request to the US Government in December, based upon a US freedom of information law, seeking the identities of the CIA prisoners, which also sought where they were being held and under what conditions.[...]

However, she said the CCR's information request was a first step, and that it may well be followed up by a lawsuit.[...]

The rights' advocate also believes, however, that information requests by groups like the CCR may only create greater secrecy around the CIA's holding of off-the-books prisoners.

"I fear that their solution is to move towards greater secrecy," she said.