WASHINGTON - A US jet registered to a ghost company whisks terror suspects to countries that use torture, The Washington Post reported, based on its own investigation.

N379P The US Torture Plane

The Gulfstream V turbojet has been seen at US military bases around the world, often loading up hooded and shackled suspects and delivering them to countries known to use torture, a process the CIA calls "rendition," the Washington daily said.

The Post investigated the ownership of the jet, which has been spotted in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and which carries the tail number N379P, according to the newspaper.

The officers of the plane's corporate owner, Premier Executive Transport Services, are all listed with dates of birth in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, but with social security numbers issued since 1998, found the Post, which was unable to locate any further business or credit information on them or on the company.

The CIA refused comment, but such "proprietary" or front corporations are standard procedure for the agency, former operatives told the Post.

The "rendering" of suspects to countries that employ interrogation techniques banned in the United States is worrisome and could violate the UN Convention on Torture, World Organization for Human Rights USA executive director Morton Sklar told the daily.

The Post article confirmed much of a November 14 article published in the Sunday Times, of London, which obtained flight plans for the plane, which, the Times said, always departs from Washington, DC and has visited the US Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where about 550 terror suspects are held.

A Swedish television program, "Cold Facts," reported that in December 2001, the jet took hooded terror suspects to Egypt, according to the Post, which confirmed the Swedish report independently.

The Post said the plane, with hooded crew members speaking with US accents, loaded two Egyptian nationals and took off at 4:30 am for Cairo.

It said airport officials and amateur plane spotters, some using binoculars, have logged multiple sightings of N379P at several US military airports and fueling stations.

© Copyright 2004 AFP

###