The CIA’s independent watchdog is investigating fewer than 10 cases where terrorist suspects may have been mistakenly swept away to foreign countries by the spy agency, a figure lower than published reports but enough to raise some concerns.
Some 100 to 150 people have been snatched up since 9/11. Government officials say the action is reserved for those considered by the CIA to be the most serious terrorist suspects.
In March, President Bush was asked to explain why he expanded the use of rendition. “The United States must make sure we protect our people and our friends from attack,” he said. “And one way to do so is to arrest people and send them back to their country of origin with the promise that they won’t be tortured.”

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http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=119813

The CIA inspector general is investigating a growing number of what it calls "erroneous renditions," according to several former and current intelligence officials.

One official said about three dozen names fall in that category; others believe it is fewer. The list includes several people whose identities were offered by al Qaeda figures during CIA interrogations, officials said. One turned out to be an innocent college professor who had given the al Qaeda member a bad grade, one official said.

"They picked up the wrong people, who had no information. In many, many cases there was only some vague association" with terrorism, one CIA officer said.

Some of these (erroneously-detained) individuals are victims of a crude form of identity theft (by operatives). The agency, bureau and homeland really need to update their working models as they pertain to suspect identification, surveillance and detention, or else this problem will become one with hundreds of complainants.

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Stewie: So, is there any tread left on the tires? Or at this point would it be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway?

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