Rendition Circuit: 6-16 February 2002
Possible Rendition of Ali al-Hajj al-Sharqawi, Pakistan/Afghanistan to Jordan
Ali al-Hajj al-Sharqawi was captured in Pakistan on 7 February 2002, and rendered to Jordan shortly thereafter. Although the exact dates of his transfer are not known, it is likely to have been within a short number of days after his capture. CIA-owned renditions aircraft with tail number N379P may have flown between Pakistan or Afghanistan and Jordan in mid-February, and if it did it may well have had al-Sharqawi onboard. The data for this circuit is incomplete, with no landing in Afghanistan or Pakistan documented. However, the gaps in the record would fit with a rendition flight from either of these countries to Jordan. We are therefore tagging this circuit as the possible rendition of al-Sharqawi.
- Click here for more on Ali al-Hajj al-Sharqawi’s detentions and treatment
- Click here for more on N379P
Analysis
N379P left its home base of Johnston County Airport (KJNX) late morning on 6 February 2002, the day before al-Sharqawi's capture, and flew to Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD), where it stopped for around 90 minutes. It then flew cross-Atlantic, touching down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport (EGPK) before flying onto Dubai (OMDB) where it landed in the early hours of 7 February.
From Dubai, the aircraft disappears from the records, suggesting a flight continuing away from European airspace. However, it reappeared again on 11 February, in Amman, Jordan (OJAI), where it took off just before midnight and flew back to Prestwick. Given what is known of al-Sharqawi's capture and detentions, it is possible that the aircraft had, between 7-11 February, flown to either Pakistan or Afghanistan, where it would have picked up al-Sharqawi and rendered him to secret detention and torture in Jordan (click here for details of al-Sharqawi's detention in Jordan).
The aircraft stayed on the ground in Glasgow for over 24 hours - potentially for the crew to have some 'rest and relaxation' - before flying east again in the morning of 13 February, landing in Bahrain (OBBI) in the evening. From Bahrain, the aircraft disappears from the records for a second time, emerging in Jordan again on 15 February and flying to Rome, Italy (LIRF). Again, it may be that it flew to Pakistan or Afghanistan 13-15 February, picking up al-Sharqawi or another detainee and transferring them to Jordan.
N379P landed in Rome in the early hours of 16 February, where it waited for several hours before flying back to Washington and then Johnston County, landing in the evening of 16 February 2002.
