Forty North Carolinians from several counties gathered on a sweltering June 26 afternoon at the Johnston Regional Airport (JNX). The public airport, half an hour southeast of Raleigh, has been one of the CIA’s main staging grounds for rendition missions during the Rendition, Detention & Interrogation program. Then and now, JNX hosts Aero Contractors, a CIA proprietary outfit masquerading as a civilian aviation company. Aero is responsible for transporting at least 49 CIA prisoners to CIA black sites or third-country torture centers from 2002 to 2006. Many of those Aero helped kidnap ended up in Guantanamo.
Since 2005, human rights supporters have been calling on the State of North Carolina and Johnston County to investigate Aero’s role in kidnapping and torture. JNX has been the scene of numerous vigils and protests, including actions of non-violent civil disobedience. Yesterday, despite the county’s conservative history, many motorists honked in support.
Rep. David Price of Chapel Hill, NC, was one of 3 US Representatives to sponsor a letter calling on President Biden to close Guantanamo. Delivered in August 2021, the letter was signed by 75 members of the US House.
Rep. Price also wrote to CIA director Haspel (and later to Director Burns) to pose questions raised by the NC Commission of Inquiry on Torture report. Constituents of Reps. Foushee, Ross, and Nickel are urged to contact their Member and ask him or her to join with the others in following up with the CIA on Rep. Price’s inquiry.
Photos by Jerry Markatos:
Photo by Kristin Ewan:
Photo by Christina Cowger:
Photo by Marsh Hardy:
