Former Polish president admits CIA black site after years of denials

Updated



By RYAN GORMAN

Poland has admitted hosting one of the secret CIA prisons referred to as "black sites."

Former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski admitted Tuesday to a Warsaw radio station, according to the Associated Press, that he authorized the prison but insisted torture was prohibited.

Kwasniewski's admission came in the hours after the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report on alleged terror suspect torture at the hands of CIA agents overseas.

The 600-page summary made public did not name the locations of the facilities.

The former Polish leader's admission came after years of denials despite several reports on the black site being in the country. Kwasniewski served as president from 1995 to 2005.

CIA agents are alleged to have tortured as many as eight terror suspects at the Polish facility, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed 9/11 terror attack mastermind.

The Polish prison is believed to have been in operation from December 2002 until late 2003.

Kwasniewski's stunning about-face included an admission that the prison was also shuttered due to pressure from other high-ranking officials in the country.

"Poland took steps to end the activity at this site and the activity was stopped at some point," Kwasniewski told Radio TOK FM.

The former Soviet Block country is not specifically named in the report, but detainees and dates they were held are clear references to the Polish facility, when matched against previous reports.

The torture report instead mentions the black sites by color. Poland was designated blue, according to the Washington Post.

Kwasniewski also insisted he pressured former U.S. President George W. Bush to halt American intelligence activities during a visit to the White House.

The former Polish leader visited the U.S. in July 2002, according to the AP.

Is The CIA Torture Report Just A Big Cover Up?
Is The CIA Torture Report Just A Big Cover Up?


Related links:
Senate report: Harsh tactics didn't net bin Laden
CIA torture report released by Senate Intelligence Committee reveals horrors at hands of US agents

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