From:
Leonidas Donskis MEP
Brussels
© 2010 European Voice. All rights reserved.
Ušackas must be considered as EU`s Afghanistan envoy
February 04, 2010
There is no evidence that Lithuania`s former foreign minister knew about a secret detention facility operated by the CIA in Lithuania.
In an article you published about names in consideration for the post of EU special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan (“Ashton to name new Afghanistan envoy”, EuropeanVoice.com, 29 January), you wrote that one of the possible candidates, Lithuania`s former foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas, “could prove to be a controversial nominee” and continued: “He was effectively forced to resign by Lithuania`s President Dalia Grybauskaite? on 20 January at a time when accusations were being levelled at him that he knew about a secret detention facility operated by the US` Central Intelligence Agency in Lithuania.”
There is no evidence that Ušackas knew about a secret detention facility operated by the CIA in Lithuania. Those people who were recently questioned by the Lithuanian parliament on this matter formerly acted as high-ranking officials of the State Security Department of Lithuania. Ušackas had nothing to do with them whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he backed or stood behind them neither before nor when the whole controversy erupted regarding a secret detention facility in Lithuania. Moreover, Ušackas was apparently disliked by the aforementioned circle of people. This is why to imply his guilt by association would be a barely justified move. Your otherwise excellent article missed only one point, yet the point is critical, especially now when a talented and deserving diplomat is applying for a high and honourable post in the EU.
In an article you published about names in consideration for the post of EU special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan (“Ashton to name new Afghanistan envoy”, EuropeanVoice.com, 29 January), you wrote that one of the possible candidates, Lithuania`s former foreign minister Vygaudas Ušackas, “could prove to be a controversial nominee” and continued: “He was effectively forced to resign by Lithuania`s President Dalia Grybauskaite? on 20 January at a time when accusations were being levelled at him that he knew about a secret detention facility operated by the US` Central Intelligence Agency in Lithuania.”
There is no evidence that Ušackas knew about a secret detention facility operated by the CIA in Lithuania. Those people who were recently questioned by the Lithuanian parliament on this matter formerly acted as high-ranking officials of the State Security Department of Lithuania. Ušackas had nothing to do with them whatsoever. As a matter of fact, he backed or stood behind them neither before nor when the whole controversy erupted regarding a secret detention facility in Lithuania. Moreover, Ušackas was apparently disliked by the aforementioned circle of people. This is why to imply his guilt by association would be a barely justified move. Your otherwise excellent article missed only one point, yet the point is critical, especially now when a talented and deserving diplomat is applying for a high and honourable post in the EU.
