Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Resolution on Extraordinary Rendition
Date Passed: December 11, 2007
In Support of HR 1352, the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act
WHEREAS Jeppesen Dataplan, Inc., a Boeing subsidiary whose San Jose office is located at 225 W. Santa Clara St., has been implicated in the handling of logistics for the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" flights, which transport detainees to countries which condone and practice torture of prisoners;
WHEREAS torture is illegal under U.S. law, under international conventions that the U.S. has signed and is contrary to the humanistic values that underpin our society;
WHEREAS a bill, HR 1352, The Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act, has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would "prohibit the return or other transfer of persons by the United States, for the purpose of detention, interrogation, trial, or otherwise, to countries where torture or other inhuman treatment of persons occurs";
WHEREAS the European Union has condemned the practice of extraordinary rendition, and the nations of Germany and Italy have recently issued arrest warrants for CIA employees involved in the extraordinary rendition flights, thereby demonstrating strong international opposition to the practice of extraordinary rendition;
WHEREAS Santa Clara County should go on record opposing such activities and promoting passage of HR 1352, the Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission recommends that the Board of Supervisors contact our local congressional representatives to urge speedy passage of HR 1352, The Torture Outsourcing Prevention Act, thereby preventing possible acts of torture.
Passed on August 27, 2007 by the Santa Clara Human Relations Commission with a recommendation that the County Board of Supervisors pass the resolution.
Passed by a vote of 4-1 by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on December 11, 2007.