The book is an easy read (though not very enjoyable given its subject matter) of how the current situation of numerous unlawful kidnappings of different countries citizens in the names of the US war on terror has come to pass and the potential consequences.

The overall style is investigative reporting but this is no Woodward/Bernstein style opus because the writers have no important inside sources spilling the beans. Instead what you get is a good trail of all the historical evidence, how the position grew under prior US presidents but always with the ability to disclaim knowledge until “Dubya” proved to be the post 9/11 president who wanted to show hands on involvement, and a post 9/11 turf war which the FBI lost and the CIA under George Tenet has probably taken too far in the adverse consequences for that organisation and the US government.

The book is heavy on facts (especially how the global hobby of plane spotting and flight tracking proved the undoing of and publicising of the CIA’s secret programme) but poor on analysis. There is for example minimal understanding conveyed of how many governments (such as Sweden and Germany) that had been against the US war on Iraq proved such willing accomplices and without which the US rendition programme would never have worked.

What is clear is that the programme has had minimal success with a great number of irrelevant or innocent operatives having been subject to different forms of imprisonment and torture and in turn the way the programme has been operated making it impossible to bring any proven cases to trial. The end victim is US credibility in many countries though the current US policy hold of not being weak on terrorism has probably obfuscated that immediate impact.
Rating: 4 / 5

This book is dated already but it is a well written resource.

The author had become skilled at tracking flights.

Private front companies like the famous Air America that operated out of southeast Asia during the Vietnam war but it has all gotten way more sophisticated.

A whole privet airline network of snatch and grab black bag type of dudes. Efficient money making and very “black”.

Some politicians state that waterboarding does not constitute torture.

And that may be true however the agency can fly you someplace no one cares and dip you in a vat of acid.

They can fly a guy any place including places where they want to torture guys for cash.

The dark side of the war on terror. If you think the War on Terror is real and necessary then this is a brilliant capitalists secret response to jihad. Neat and tidy and we do not see anything bad.

Apparently they sometimes pick up the wrong guy on the torture taxi.

Use of front companies and even if I remember right the Boston Red Sox’s plane to aid in torture is all recounted in this book.

According to wikipida “Within days of his inauguration, President Obama signed an Executive Order opposing rendition torture and establishing a task force to provide recommendations about processes to prevent rendition torture.”

FYI it is 3/1/2010 as of the writing of this review Obama administration appears to have determined that the rendition program is still needed.

Interesting.

Rating: 5 / 5

The size and book jacket caught my attention at the local bookstore. I’m glad that it did. The book is around 200 pages and filled with photographs. It can be easily read in a day or two.

What I like so much about this book so far, is the feeling that your part of the investigative team. Partly this is due to the writing, which is clear and concise. Second, are the photographs (“Ghost” signatures, documents, buildings) which correspond to the story being told at that point. All of the photographs, except for one were taken by the Mr Paglen.

What conclusions if any, the authors come to, I dont know. I’m on page 58. I do know its an engaging and page turning story that will leave me wanting to learn more. Thank you Mr Paglen and Mr. Thompson.

Rating: 4 / 5