Report: Germany knew of rendition flights

STUTTGART, Germany, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The German government knew the U.S. military used Stuttgart as a base for planning rendition flights to Guantanamo, a report said.

"We have transported detainees," to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, John Tomassi, the spokesman of the U.S. European Command, the military headquarters of U.S. overseas operations based in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart, told Friday's Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper. "And we released this information the same day."

On Jan. 18, 2002, the U.S. military flew six terror suspects from Bosnia-Herzegovina to Guantanamo, "in coordination with nations involved," Tomassi said. The rendition of the suspects was necessary because "Bosnian laws didn't allow a further detention," of the men that U.S. authorities considered still to be a threat.

The German government has previously said it did not know of any EUCOM involvement in rendition flights, after a left-wing party officially inquired into the matter.