Have you ever been asked about "black sites" in countries you've visited?
Feb 7th, 2019, 05:35 PM
#1
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Have you ever been asked about "black sites" in countries you've visited?
I visited Poland last June and I had a driver take me from Gdansk to Malbork castle in the north.The driver and I talked about a lot of subjects, including Polak jokes (embarrassing) and "black sites" set up by the CIA during the Bush administration. ( very embarrassing!). I just sort of stumbled around discussing the black sites. "Black sites" were of course places where suspected terrorists were subjected to "interrogation" or "enhanced" interrogation, in case you're too young to remember the Bush administration.
The driver wasn't hostile. He just wanted to know if I'd heard of them. Or if I'd admit to hearing of them, maybe.
The driver wasn't hostile. He just wanted to know if I'd heard of them. Or if I'd admit to hearing of them, maybe.
Feb 7th, 2019, 07:14 PM
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No, but some of my students on their year abroad have been asked to talk in class or in a formal setting about the Aboriginal genocide and about the Australian government holding refugees in custody on Nauru / Manus Island (the "Pacific Solution") (with reference to the Australian setting). The latter is still occurring, although the government is just now removing children from custody and resettling them elsewhere. It's all very embarrassing and all we can do is make sure that students have a good understanding of those events before they go so they are not caught gasping for air like a fish when someone inevitably asks them about these.
Lavandula
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Feb 7th, 2019, 11:52 PM
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I'm surprised that your taxi driver "asked" about black sites, especially in NE Poland.
The then disused airport near Szczytno in Mazury had been one of the most famous sites.
And received quite a lot of media attention in later years.
The Polish side of my family lives just a few kms from that site - and the airport's use is no secret at all in their neck of the woods.
And since this had not been one existing, enclosed US military installation like Ramstein or similar, it also could not be operational without local government's collaboration.
The then disused airport near Szczytno in Mazury had been one of the most famous sites.
And received quite a lot of media attention in later years.
The Polish side of my family lives just a few kms from that site - and the airport's use is no secret at all in their neck of the woods.
And since this had not been one existing, enclosed US military installation like Ramstein or similar, it also could not be operational without local government's collaboration.
Feb 8th, 2019, 02:17 AM
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I’m unsure how you would define a military “black site” but in SW Scotland we have a base that has been used for Anglo American development weapons testing over the years. In it’s early years, we had stealth bombers and a huge number of accompanying reports of UFOs. The site was used to develop depleted Uranium shells and the magnetic cannon which apparently could destroy a tank from 20 miles away using simple metal pellets.
From our house we occasionally see very strange lights in the sky. Goodness knows what they are up to now.
From our house we occasionally see very strange lights in the sky. Goodness knows what they are up to now.
Feb 8th, 2019, 04:55 AM
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https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/69036...y-in-four-days
Peg I heard this on NPR yesterday and had heard rumors about this from our Iranians neighbors who moved next door to us in 1978 (ish) right around the time of the revolution.
Peg I heard this on NPR yesterday and had heard rumors about this from our Iranians neighbors who moved next door to us in 1978 (ish) right around the time of the revolution.
Feb 8th, 2019, 08:55 AM
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no, and I've been in Poland several times. I think that was random, the typical driver isn't a history buff and wouldn't do that, probably. I've never been with a driver for a full day privately, though. Also, some people might think it rude to question clients about political matters, I suppose.
The current CIA director worked in one, as I recall, which came up during her hearing
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43496212
THe issue with POland is it was apparently one of the first, called the Quartz.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.a80af85cf2f9
The current CIA director worked in one, as I recall, which came up during her hearing
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43496212
THe issue with POland is it was apparently one of the first, called the Quartz.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.a80af85cf2f9
Feb 8th, 2019, 01:50 PM
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No. And I’d likely just give them a blank stare. I’ve got zero interest in that sort of thing.
just sounds like it’s something that specifically interested him. Like someone here who knew about various naval training exercises. I don’t remember what it was, but I think it was a state park closure of some kind. Didn’t even occur to me to wonder, but a client was telling me all about various naval training stuff done there. I’ve had a taxi driver point out a whole bunch of filming sights to me, I think in DC, and that was clearly his thing—I didn’t ask.
just sounds like it’s something that specifically interested him. Like someone here who knew about various naval training exercises. I don’t remember what it was, but I think it was a state park closure of some kind. Didn’t even occur to me to wonder, but a client was telling me all about various naval training stuff done there. I’ve had a taxi driver point out a whole bunch of filming sights to me, I think in DC, and that was clearly his thing—I didn’t ask.
Feb 15th, 2019, 10:39 AM
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I am very interested in politics, and I assume we were talking politics. I probably said something derogatory about Trump, and maybe one thing led to another. I don't recall. However, I am especially interested in Poland's history, and I've learned a good deal about it since I there the last time--the 303 squadron that flew with the RAF in WWII, the Polish codebreakers who were instrumental in breaking the Ultra codes, John Paul II and Lech Walesa, the Warsaw Insurgency, and the uprising in the ghetto.
When I was in Torun, Poland, in 2016, my cab driver told me that at least the Germans didn't lie to the Poles. He said they wanted our land and they were open about it. The Soviets lied to them, pretended to be their friends, but they just wanted the land too. He also talked about the effect the American elections might have on Poland. He didn't think Poland was important to the U.S. because they're so far away from each other. Later on I thought about how many people I know who have Polish roots.
When I was in Torun, Poland, in 2016, my cab driver told me that at least the Germans didn't lie to the Poles. He said they wanted our land and they were open about it. The Soviets lied to them, pretended to be their friends, but they just wanted the land too. He also talked about the effect the American elections might have on Poland. He didn't think Poland was important to the U.S. because they're so far away from each other. Later on I thought about how many people I know who have Polish roots.
Feb 15th, 2019, 11:11 AM
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I don't want to talk about any of that when I'm on vacation, especially in another country. The closest I came was is the fall of 2017, in London waiting for a bus, and a lovely lady heard me talking to my friend and obviously heard my accent and was chatting me up wanted to know if we were on holiday and what we had seen and such. Can't remember her exact words but the essence was that she felt really bad for us having elected the Cheeto. I could not disagree. Then the bus came.
Feb 15th, 2019, 01:21 PM
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I am very interested in politics, and I assume we were talking politics. I probably said something derogatory about Trump, and maybe one thing led to another. I don't recall. However, I am especially interested in Poland's history, and I've learned a good deal about it since I there the last time--the 303 squadron that flew with the RAF in WWII, the Polish codebreakers who were instrumental in breaking the Ultra codes, John Paul II and Lech Walesa, the Warsaw Insurgency, and the uprising in the ghetto.
When I was in Torun, Poland, in 2016, my cab driver told me that at least the Germans didn't lie to the Poles. He said they wanted our land and they were open about it. The Soviets lied to them, pretended to be their friends, but they just wanted the land too. He also talked about the effect the American elections might have on Poland. He didn't think Poland was important to the U.S. because they're so far away from each other. Later on I thought about how many people I know who have Polish roots.
When I was in Torun, Poland, in 2016, my cab driver told me that at least the Germans didn't lie to the Poles. He said they wanted our land and they were open about it. The Soviets lied to them, pretended to be their friends, but they just wanted the land too. He also talked about the effect the American elections might have on Poland. He didn't think Poland was important to the U.S. because they're so far away from each other. Later on I thought about how many people I know who have Polish roots.
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