Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

US media reported that US President Barack Obama signed an order for CIA to continue carrying out the controversial Bush-era kidnappings as one of his first works.

According to the report, Obama did so just two days after becoming president.

So-called "renditions" include secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to countries that collabarate with the United States.

Current and former U.S. intelligence officials told US Los Angeles Times that "the rendition program might be poised to play an expanded role going forward aside from Predator missile strikes," such as Pakistan - but the horrifying rate of civilian casualties that go along with such strikes make the practice almost as controversial as rendition.

Meanwhile, Obama issued orders closing Guantanamo prison and told the Muslim world that "America is not your enemy", "USA can win the respect of Muslims again".

Under executive orders signed by Obama on January 22, two days after his inauguration, the CIA still has US immunity to carry out renditions - secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to other countries.

The rendition programme became a major source of embarrassment to the CIA and the U.S. worldwide as details emerged of botched captures, mistaken identities, and allegations of torture.

The European Parliament condemned renditions as "an illegal instrument used by the United States", but did not take any concrete actions against illegal kidnappings in European lands.

Prisoners swept up in the program have sued the CIA as well as a Boeing Co. subsidiary accused of working with the agency on dozens of rendition flights.

But despite the worldwide condemnations surrounding the secretive practice, Obama opended the door for the new kidnappings.

The report stressed "the little-noticed provision states that the instructions to close the CIA"s secret prison sites do not refer to facilities used only to hold people on a short-term, transitory basis."