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© REVIEWS HOW TO START YOUR OWN GHOST PLANE: The Untold Story of SECRET SOCIETY the CIA's Torture Programme by Nick Harding by Stephen Grey Oldcastle Books, Harpenden, UK, 2006 Scribe Publications, Melbourne, Australia, ISBN 1-904048-84-6 (350pp pb) 2007 (first published by C. Hurst & Co., Available: http://www.noexit.co.uk; UK, 2006) www.turnaround-uk.com ISBN 1-921215-35-6 (339pp tpb) is tongue often firmly in cheek, Nick Available: see scribepublications.com.au; Harding carries off this guide to starting http:/Awww. hurstpub.co.uk your own secret society with aplomb while he expression "extraordinary rendition" being quite serious about the subject. With describes the capture of suspected ter- this book, I'm reminded of the Monty rorists and transfer by CIA-hired private jets Python sketch where the John Cleese char- _ to foreign prisons and secret detention facil- acter lashes out at the Freemason architects _ties for interrogation and torture. Journalist who wouldn't let him join their fraternity. Stephen Grey headed the UK Sunday Times Here are tips for come-uppance against the —_Jnsight investigation team when, in the USA nefarious powers that be, whether they be at soon after 9/11, he first heard of these trans- local, national or global level, and many fers and then set about obtaining the logs of opportunities for creative participation. these new-style "Air America" CIA flights. As you'll see in these pages, many revolu- Grey went public in May 2004 in an article tionary movements got their impetus at the for the New Statesman, and in time has col- local pub or coffee house. Some were more _Jected about 12,000 records for over 20 successful than others, and Harding gives planes that transported prisoners to a range YY — £«'ft of countries cooperating with the US Bush ALO LAE administration in its "war on terror", includ- YOUR OWN > ing Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Afghanistan, rae ee Uzbekhistan, Morocco and Thailand, most SECR Ei | « of which had no problems with their mili- ysocl ETY | | tary secret police torturing detainees held without charge. Yet even in December 2005, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Cs Rice claimed the US would never transport prisoners to places where they'd be tortured, evidence of any illegal conduct. In Ghost Plane, Grey spills the beans on ~, \ the CIA's extraordinary rendition program ~ Tis as well as the Pentagon's role in mass rendi- tions via US military transport planes. Indeed, there's nothing new about these ren- ditions: the US has been carrying them out for decades but stepped up activities in response to 9/11. Grey has been able to pin down 89 renditions since then (listed in the appendix), but he suspects that several thou- sand individuals have been imprisoned. In fact, the Guantanamo Bay renditions are just the tip of the iceberg, he maintains. While the majority of prisoners are still unaccounted for, some have been released on no charges and their desperate stories are recounted here, along with testimony on and off the record from CIA pilots, operations officers and chiefs as well as White House officials who knew that torture was inevitable in these foreign prisons. Grey recounts in the third part of his book the international public backlash against these renditions and the involvement of so- called democratic governments in facilitat- ing them. All the while, the Bush adminis- tration wants to continue these covert extra- legal practices. This is a chilling exposé that, it's hoped, will help turn the tables. Wwe =<] and British PM Tony Blair denied there was pointers on how to maintain secrecy, create special communication codes including passwords and handshakes, and deal with the inevitable political intrigue that results from, well, having a secret society. Some societies of the past were actually satires on the really secret societies of their times, which is heartening in that this confirms humour's long history as an antidote to oppression. So, with this considered advice, you're encouraged to let rip with your wish- es for local dominion or global domination. Harding acknowledges input from Masonic brothers who have enlightened him as to the workings of their secretive cere- monies. These notes proffer essential back- ground information if you want to create your own inner sanctum and confound your potential detractors. There are tips on what to look for in conspiracy theorists to head them off at the pass, and notes on require- ments as a member of such high-profile groups as the Knights Templar, Illuminati, Opus Dei and the Freemasons. An amusing diversion with snippets of truth. HOW TO START YOUR OWN SECRET SOCIETY by Nick Harding Oldcastle Books, Harpenden, UK, 2006 ISBN 1-904048-84-6 (350pp pb) Available: http://www.noexit.co.uk; www.turnaround-uk.com is tongue often firmly in cheek, Nick Harding carries off this guide to starting your own secret society with aplomb while being quite serious about the subject. With this book, I'm reminded of the Monty Python sketch where the John Cleese char- acter lashes out at the Freemason architects who wouldn't let him join their fraternity. Here are tips for come-uppance against the nefarious powers that be, whether they be at local, national or global level, and many opportunities for creative participation. As you'll see in these pages, many revolu- tionary movements got their impetus at the local pub or coffee house. Some were more successful than others, and Harding gives pointers on how to maintain secrecy, create special communication codes including passwords and handshakes, and deal with the inevitable political intrigue that results from, well, having a secret society. Some societies of the past were actually satires on the really secret societies of their times, which is heartening in that this confirms humour's long history as an antidote to oppression. So, with this considered advice, you're encouraged to let rip with your wish- es for local dominion or global domination. Harding acknowledges input from Masonic brothers who have enlightened him as to the workings of their secretive cere- monies. These notes proffer essential back- ground information if you want to create your own inner sanctum and confound your potential detractors. There are tips on what to look for in conspiracy theorists to head them off at the pass, and notes on require- ments as a member of such high-profile groups as the Knights Templar, Illuminati, Opus Dei and the Freemasons. An amusing diversion with snippets of truth. JUNE — JULY 2007 NEXUS = 73 www.nexusmagazine.com