CIA collaborated with Qaddafi in torture of terror suspects in Libya

In the era before the Arab Spring the CIA collaborated with the Qaddafi regime and even rendered suspects they captured to Libya where they were interrogated and tortured.

Human Rights Watch has released a long 156 page report documenting the CIA's program of torture, including waterboarding in close collaboration with the Qaddafi regime. This new information was released just days after the U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, had made a formal decision granting impunity to agents involved after investigation of over a hundred cases of CIA agents engaging in acts of torture.

The HRW report interviewed prisoners held by the CIA in black sites in Libya as well as caches of documents that were turned up when rebels seized Qaddafi's state security offices last year. Five Libyans were held first in U.S. prisons in Afghanistan for 8 months to 2 years and were then rendered to Libya. They were chained naked to walls in dark, windowless cells for weeks or even months at a time. They were restrained in painful stress positions, beaten, slammed into walls. They were not allowed to bathe and were denied sleep by loud Western music. The detainees had been tortured in CIA prisons in Afghanistan as well. All 14 prisoners interviewed claimed that they were turned over to the Libyan regime with the fulll expectation that they would be tortured and abused there.

Among those turned over to the Qaddafi regime was Ibn-Shekh-al-Libi. He was one of the key sources of fraudulent claims about Saddam Hussein. These claims were cited by the Bush administration to justify invading Iraq. He died in Libya but photos of him before his death show evidence of torture. Many suspect his claims were obtained through torture. A number of those tortured in Libya are now in important positions in the new government. A well known former military leader Abdelhakim Belhadj was also rendered to Libya with the help of the UK M16:

Tracked by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), after a tip-off from MI6 gained from London-based informants ,Belhadj was arrested with his pregnant wife in 2004 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia...Transferred on the same plane to Bangkok, he was then placed in the custody of the CIA, where he was retained at a secret prison at the airport.Returned to Libya on the rendition aircraft ‎‎N313P,[ he was held at the Abu Salim prison for seven years.

The Justice Department even under Obama has tried to convince everyone to forget these crimes and move on. Obama wants to move forward and not dwell on the past. The torturers involved in rendition are the untouchables. While continuing to outlaw torture Obama has not even outlawed rendition. The situation would certainly not improve with Romney at the helm. There is a long article at this site that shows some of the torture boxes used in Libya by the CIA.

Libyan military leader was rendered to Gadaffi regime by UK with CIA help

Abdulhakim Belhaj is now a top Libyan military leader. Belhaj was kidnapped in Bangkok Thailand apparently through a CIA operation with help from the UK. He was then rendered to Libya to be incarcerated by Gadaffi and tortured. A letter found in the UK ambassador's residence by rebels congratulated Gadaffi when he took control of Belhaj or his air cargo as the group called him.

Before this revelation the UK denied any role in the rendition. The M16 UK spy group was also involved in the rendition of another Islamist Sami Saadi who is still recovering from injuries suffered while in a Gadaffi prison.

M16 officials were concerned that Belhaj was helping Al-Qaeda to recruit among regional groups in Libya. Belhaj has launched a suit in the UK for his rendition and torture. The suit will probably never go to court because of national security reasons but perhaps rather than face adverse publicity he might receive compensation from the government out of court. For more see this article.

UK police investigating role of UK intelligence in rendition of Libyan rebel leader to Gadaffi regime

Abdel Hakim Belhadj is one of the foremost rebel military leaders and commander of the Tripoli Military Council.In earlier days Belhadj had fought with other jihadists  against the Soviet sponsored regime in Afghanistan. When the Soviets were defeated Belhadj returned to Libya. Belhadj fought with other Islamists in a rebellion based in eastern Libya but the group was crushed in 1998. He then went to Afghanistan where he joined the Taliban. After 9/11 Libyan authorities issued a warrant for his arrest.
   Belhadj claims that informants in the UK informed M16 that he and his pregnant wife were traveling through  Malaysia. Both were arrested in Malaysia and transferred to Bangkok where he was placed in custody of the CIA and retained at a secret prison. Belhaj says that his arrest and consequent transport back to Libya was the result of a join M16 CIA operation designed to help Gadaffi round up his enemies.
  Belhadj was held in prison in Libya for 7 years in terrible conditions as well as being tortured. However Saif al-Islam one of Gadaffi's sons had him released along with many other Islamists after a "de-radicalisation" project. Saif said that the men were no longer a danger to Libya. He was wrong about that as far as the Gadaffi regime was concerned! Belhadj ended up being one of the prime commanders in the successful overthrow of the Gadaffi government.
   A team of rebels and Human Rights Watch found documents related to Belhadj in Tripoli originating from both the CIA and the UK M16. The former Libyan foreign minister noted that M16 had been operating in Tripoli right up until the revolution last February. The British government set up an inquiry into these and other events but it was so flawed that no one shed many tears when the government decided to simply close it down. The UK Metropolitan Police are carrying out investigations. When these are finished the UK government has promised a judge led investigation based on the findings. For more see this article.  Of course no similar investigation is being carried out in the U.S. about the role of the CIA in these events.