Europeans unhappy with Poland-CIA ties

European Union lawmakers on Friday accused Poland of failing to cooperate with their investigation into claims the CIA held terrorism suspects at secret prisons in the country.

Members of the European Parliament committee set up to investigate the clandestine jail allegations wrapped up a three-day visit to Poland without turning up new evidence. The lawmakers met with human rights officials, journalists and authorities from the Szczytno-Szymany airport, where alleged CIA flights landed.

But a handful of Polish government officials - including the defense minister, foreign minister, and minister for secret services - declined to meet with the commission, the EU said.

Committee chairman Carlos Coelho criticized what he called "the reluctance of the government to offer full cooperation," adding that Poland had been the least helpful of all countries the delegation had visited. "Without any doubt, there is no other case so bad as Poland regarding cooperation with our committee."

The delegation has already visited Spain, Britain, Macedonia, the United States and Romania.

The committee was also unhappy with the answers it received in Poland. "Many questions we've asked have been met with rather evasive replies," said Claudio Fava, an Italian lawmaker.

However, Coelho said, "there is no new material evidence either to confirm or deny the existence" of the prisons.
Source:wilmingtonstar.com