American journalists took advantage of the invitation extended by President Traian Basescu and scouted wide and long the air base at Mihail Kogalniceanu, in Eastern Romania, in search of evidence regarding the existence of secret CIA operated facilities.
The reporters, among who was a correspondent of The New York Times, were greeted by a Romanian officer who accompanied them wherever they wanted to go on the base.
Their visit was on the heels of Condoleezza Riceâs visit to Romania, on which occasion Basescu restated that anyone - journalist or representative of nongovernmental organization - may search any location in Romania alleged to have hosted CIA prisoners.
The NYT reporter said he saw nothing suspicious on the base - nothing that would have given grounds to statements of the kind issued by the Human Rights Watch.
The nongovernmental organization said that CIA operated planes landed at Kogalniceanu airport while transporting persons suspected of Al-Qaeda ties.
According to the NYT, the 104 buildings inside the military base could provide opportunities for sheltering such activities, but nothing of the kind was detected.
The journalistsâ visit ended with a 20-minute presentation of aerial photos shot by Romanian military, showing the landing strips and the adjacent buildings, and a series of joint training activities conducted by the American and Romanian military two years ago.
The NYT correspondent pointed out in his dispatch that if allegations that Bucharest hosted CIA operated facilities would prove correct, than Romania risks serious consequences, since its future European Union membership would be on the line.
Translated by ANCA PADURARU American journalists took advantage of the invitation extended by President Traian Basescu and scouted wide and long the air base at Mihail Kogalniceanu, in Eastern Ro
