Rendition Circuit: 17-23 July 2002
Rendition of Binyam Mohamed and two others from Pakistan to Morocco
On 21-22 July 2002, Binyam Mohamed was rendered, along with two unidentified detainees, from Pakistan to Morocco. They were flown in an unmarked Gulfstream V jet with registration N379P. This aircraft was operated by Premier Executive Transport Services, a CIA shell company, and was owned by Aerocontractors, a nominally independent company working exclusively for the CIA.
Analysis
N379P left its home base of Johnston County Airport (KJNX) in the evening of 17 July 2002, flying to Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD). It then left Washington just after midnight on 18 July, flying to Frankfurt Main (EDDF) where it then - during the rest of the day - made a return trip to Incirlik Airbase in Turkey (LTAG). The aircraft left Frankfurt again in the afternoon of 19 July, flying to Kabul (OAKB). Having stopped off in Amman, Jordan (OJAI) for just over 90 minutes en route, the aircraft landed in Kabul in the early hours of 20 July.
There is no data currently available which tracks the aircraft leaving Kabul, but it was on the tarmac in Islamabad (OPRN) by the evening of 21 July 2002.
Binyam Mohamed has testified that he was transferred on 19 July 2002 from his detention in Karachi - where he had been held for over three months - to Islamabad. This was a civilian flight, operated by Pakistan International Airlines, and Binyam was sat uncuffed next to two Pakistani officers in row 35 or 36. Once in Islamabad, he was taken in a pickup truck to a Special Branch facility, where he was held until the evening of 21 July 2002.
At about 10pm on 21 July, Binyam and two other detainees were moved to what he says was a military airport. This is likely to be the Pakistani Air Force base at Nur Khan / Chakala, which is co-located with Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport, and has the same ICAO code (OPRN).
Binyam was held at the airport for around two hours, before being transferred over to an American rendition team. This team were masked and dressed in black, and followed the standard rendition procedure. Binyam was stripped naked and photographed. He had a suppository inserted into his anus, and was then dressed in a tracksuit, shackled, blindfolded and had ear defenders placed over his head.
During the flight, Binyam was strapped to his seat, alongside what he says were two other detainees - presumably the same two as he was moved to the airport alongside. The flight lasted 8-10 hours.
Existing flight data contains a flight plan filed by Premier Executive Transport Services for N379P, to leave Islamabad at 17:35 GMT on 21 July 2002, which translates to 22:35 Pakistan time. The flight plan shows the aircraft flying direct from Islamabad to Rabat-Sale Airport (GMME), and due to arrive at 03:42 on 22 July 2002.
Flight plans are often executed several hours after the filed time, due to any number of delays. In this case, the flight times broadly correlate with Binyam’s own recollections, as does the flight duration (just over 10 hours).
After off-loading Binyam in Rabat - presumably alongside the two other detainees - N379P flew back to Johnston County, via Shannon, Ireland (EINN) and Washington Dulles, arriving back in the evening of 23 July 2002.
