Rendition Lawsuit Against Boeing Subsidiary Grows

A lawsuit against airservices company Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc., has been re-filed to include two more victims of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's extraordinary rendition program. In December 2002, Bisher al-Rawi was kidnapped from Gambia and flown to a secret U.S. prison in Afghanistan and then the Bagram airbase. In October 2003, Yemeni citizen Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah was kidnapped from Jordan and flown to the Bagram airbase. Both were tortured before being released without charges in March 2007 and early 2006, respectively. The American Civil Liberties Union alleges that the Boeing subsidiary "falsified flight plans submitted to European air traffic control authorities to avoid public scrutiny of CIA flights." Boeing spokesman John Dern would not say whether Jeppesen works for the CIA. "As a matter of policy we don't comment publicly on any of the work done or services for any of our customers without their consent," he said.