Still above the law

The US Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal by German citizen Khaled al-Masri who was kidnapped by the CIA in 2003 and taken to Afghanistan where he was tortured interrogated in an enhanced manner gently questioned in luxurious surroundings. The government argued that to allow Mr al-Masir's suit to proceed would force the release of "state secrets" thereby exposing the American populace, and Western civilisation as a whole, to horrible, horrible things. The Supreme Court agreed.

By the way even the US government admits that the kidnapping of Mr. al-Masri was a mistake and that after only five months of torture enhanced interrogation gently questioning in luxurious surroundings they found out that they had the wrong man. See, torture does work.

Effectively the Supreme Court's decision is saying that a man's life, and that of his family, can be involuntarily sacrificed and he and his family have no avenue open to them to seek recompense if the state decides that it should claim "state secrets", which probably just amount to acknowledgement of the incredible profundity of their ineptitude, will be at risk.

As an American citizen let me be the first to thank Mr. al-Masri for his brave sacrifice for the betterment of mankind and the ensure that the forward march of the Bush/Blair legacy can proceed unimpeded!