New Frames: "60 Minutes" does Torture Jet story tonight (Updated)

Photo Albums

Bayard Foreign Marketing has reached the mainstream media. CBS will be profiling Portland's mysterious marketing firm on "60 Minutes" tonight and informing its viewers about "extraordinary renditions" (the taking of terror suspects to countries that permit torture.) The Gulfstream Executive jet that is used by the CIA is owned by Leonard T. Bayard, the mysterious non-existent man who owns the CIA front company, Bayard Foreign Marketing.

Oregon's own Congressman Earl Blumenauer has called for a formal investigation into the matter. Blumenauer serves on the House International Relations Committee and has written a formal letter to the committee's chairmen. In it he mentions Bayard Foreign Marketing:

"I am additionally troubled by the use of a Gulfstream V jet registered to a shadowy--and possibly illegal--dummy front compnay, Bayard Foreign Marketing, LLC, in my home town of Portland, Oregon. Press reports have found no public record of the company's alleged owner, nor have calls to their office been successful at locating him. The evidence certainly points to a violation of Oregon law in order to hide the true nature and breadth of this extraordinary rendition program."

For those of us in Congressman David Wu's district who have contacted him regarding this matter, we received a letter from him this week informing us of his support for a formal investigation:

"This horrendous incident, and the potentially dangerous effect it could have on our ability to foster stability and security in the region, necessitates an immediate and thorough investigation. I am deeply upset about these actions, and I have joined my colleagues in calling on Secretary Rumsfeld to launch a formal investigation of this matter."

We know one thing for sure, Goli Ameri, David Wu's challenger in the last election wouldn't be calling for an investigation, despite the fact she hails from a nation that practices torture, Iran.

In any case, please let both Congressmen know you support them and if you're in another district please contact your Congressional representative here and let them know you support an investigation. Even if you live in a Republican district, contact him/her.

Update - Bayard Foreign Marketing didn't make it into the "60 Minutes" story, but BFM's predecessor, Premier Transport Services, did. BFM purchased the Gulfstream jet that they talked about in the show from PTS.

Comments

for those on the west coast it'll be the 1st segment. that whole 60 minutes segment was good but missed out on the whole portland/bayard angle. i guess that would have been a bit much to cram into a 15 minute segment.

Posted by: andrew morton | March 06, 2005 at 04:48 PM

Yeah, they did skip the Bayard Foreign Marketing deal. BFM purchased the plane from Premier Transport, the company they talked about in 60 Minutes.

I thought Michael Sheuer (sp?) was being a little slippery. He claimed that he thinks information gained through torture isn't reliable, but then turned around and said that it was his job to protect Americans. Well, if it isn't reliable, then what's the point? And are we really protecting Americans when we allow torture?

I'm glad they brought up the practices of toture in Tashkent... that they boil people. Now you can't tell me that if your arm is being stuck in boiling water that you're not going to tell the person whatever it is they want to hear. One thing they didn't mention on the show that was in the New Yorker article was that all the info they got out of Tashkent ended up being rubbish. Case closed.

Posted by: Sid | March 06, 2005 at 09:36 PM

Nothing like 60 minutes having outdated info to show!
Go figure
It’s been since Nov.16 04
And Portland Owner Connection doesn’t get into the article
Well doesn’t surprise me in the slightest ignorant way of always get 1/2 truths these days.
Thanks for discussing current updated important aspects that need to be mentioned.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0108-06.htm

Posted by: Michael Tabor | March 12, 2005 at 06:31 PM

Michael,

Thanks for the link. Yeah, everything the MSM does now is always old news to the blogosphere and the New Yorker. And when they do the story, they leave some of the most important stuff out, like the 60 Minutes story didn't even mention the Canadian citizen who was rendered to Syria and tortured for a year. Typical.

Posted by: Sid | March 12, 2005 at 09:28 PM