As you may be aware, the Council of Europe issued a report on American Gulags in Poland and Romania.

It now appears that CIA bureaucrats provided much of the information.

“There were huge conflicts between the CIA and Rumsfeld. Many leading figures in the CIA did not accept these methods at all,” Marty told European Parliament committees, defending his work against complaints it was based on unnamed sources.

The report issued last month said the Central Intelligence Agency ran secret jails in Poland and Romania, with the complicity of those governments, and transported terrorist suspects across Europe in secret flights.

Poland and Romania have repeatedly denied hosting CIA prisons on their soil.

“People in the CIA felt these things were not consonant with the sort of intelligence work they normally do,” Marty said.

He said he had based his findings largely on conversations with “high officials of the CIA (and) highly placed European office-holders, who for different reasons, often honorable reasons, were ready to explain what had happened”.

Since he had no power to summon witnesses, subpoena documents or search buildings, he was forced to rely on such evidence, Marty said.

As much as we may complain about bureaucracy when we are waiting in line at the DMV, the truth is that a competent and honest bureaucracy is essential to a properly functioning democracy.

Even with the Dems back in power in the Congress, the actions of honest bureaucrats who know the rules, and follow them, has been the most effective push back against Bush and his evil minions^™.