Rendition Circuit: 29 September - 3 October 2004
Rendition of Ramzi bin al-Shibh, Morocco to Romania
On 1 October 2004, Ramzi bin al-Shibh was rendered between Morocco, where he had been held in secret detention since being transferred from Guantanamo Bay in March 2004, to Romania, where he continued to be held in secret detention. He was transferred on board the Gulfstream IV jet with registration number N85VM. This aircraft was operated by Richmor Aviation, a private charter company which was hired by broker SportsFlight Airways, on behalf of another broker, Capital Aviation. In turn, Capital Aviation was under contract with DynCorp to provide aircraft for the CIA’s rendition programme.
Analysis
N85VM left its home base of Schenectady County Airport (KSCH) in the evening of 29 September 2004, flying to Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD) where it stopped for just over an hour. Just after midnight, on 30 September, it flew from Washington to Tenerife South Airport (GCTS), landing in the early morning. An invoice submitted by Richmor Aviation shows it then flew to Rabat, Morocco (GMME), where it would have picked up Ramzi bin al-Shibh. From Rabat, the aircraft flew to Amman, Jordan (OJAM), where it stayed overnight. The next day it continued its rendition trip, flying direct to Constanta, Romania (LRCK), where it dropped off bin al-Shibh. According to respected analysis by Adam Goldman at the Associated Press, bin al-Shibh was then held alongside at least five other detainees, including Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, Hambali, Walid bin Attash and Abu Faraj al-Libi.
After Romania, N85VM then flew to Prague (LKPR) and then Shannon, Ireland (EINN), landing in the afternoon of 2 October. After 50 minutes on the ground, it then flew to Washington and then back to Schenectady, landing in the early hours of 3 October 2004.
An invoice submitted on 6 October 2004 by Richmor Aviation shows total costs for the circuit of $196,449.71, including an overnight for four crew in Amman.
