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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

CIA flights cause Austria uproar

William J. Kole Associated Press

VIENNA, Austria – An opposition politician called on Thursday for a wider investigation into possible CIA flights over Austria and accused U.S. intelligence of running a de facto covert airline he derisively dubbed “Kidnap Air.”

The lawmaker, Peter Pilz of the Green Party, urged the public prosecutor’s office to get involved, insisting there was probably more than one flight over Austria.

“If the U.S. government authorities believe they have the right to kidnap people and transport them over European borders, that must have consequences in all member states of the European Union,” Pilz said.

On Wednesday, Austria’s air force commander said a CIA transport plane suspected of carrying terrorist suspects flew over the country on its way to the Central Asian nation of Azerbaijan on Jan. 21, 2003.

Josef Cap, the parliament floor leader for the Social Democrats, the biggest opposition party, demanded Thursday that Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel lodge a formal protest with President Bush. Schuessel is to visit the White House on Dec. 8.

The Council of Europe, the continent’s main human rights watchdog, is looking into reports that the CIA set up secret jails in some European nations and transported terror suspects by covert flights. It has urged governments to fully provide information on the issue.

Spain’s foreign minister said Thursday the government had investigated at least 10 stopovers by U.S. private planes described in media reports as being operated for the CIA but had no evidence any laws were broken.