On this Day of the Disappeared, U.S. stands out as part of the problem

Today, August 30, 2009, marks the 26th annual International Day of the Disappeared. This is a day set aside to remember the politically disappeared, draw attention to the problem of secret imprisonment, and demand justice for victims of enforced disappearances.

Disappearances don't just happen in far-off third-world countries -- not since the Bush administration got into the habit of disappearing some of its own prisoners in the "war on terror" through its program of extraordinary rendition. Through this program, detainees have been sent to other countries who will to do the torturing for us (as if we haven't been doing enough of it ourselves).

And now, unfortunately, the Obama administration has decided to continue the Bush administration's rendition program, but with "more oversight". (Yes, we've heard that before.)

In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had this to say:

The newly revamped rendition program would rely "on assurances from the receiving country" to prevent torture. These so-called "diplomatic assurances" -- that is, written guarantees from the receiving state that a person would not be subject to torture or other prohibited treatment upon return -- are not a new concept; they were also employed by the Bush administration in the universally condemned "extraordinary rendition program" and proved singularly ineffective in preventing individuals from being tortured after transfer.

This is not change I can believe in. It is no change at all. I am deeply disappointed and very, very sad.

>> Read more of the ACLU's feedback on Obama's unfortunate decision.