International   

Rice set to refuse prison probe

Antony Barnett and Jamie Doward

Controversy grows over use of foreign jails for interrogation of detenus

London: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will inflame the trans-Atlantic row over America's alleged torture of terror suspects in secret east European jails by telling British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and other European officials to "back off.'

Dr. Rice, who arrives in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with NATO Foreign Ministers, has been under pressure to respond to claims that the U.S. has been using covert prisons in Eastern Europe to interrogate Islamist militants.

Straw's query

Human rights groups have alleged that the CIA is flying terror suspects to a number of secret jails across the globe in planes that have used airports across Europe including a number of them in Britain.

Dr. Rice's refusal to answer detailed questions on what has become known as "extraordinary rendition" will anger many in Europe.

Last week, Mr. Straw wrote to Dr. Rice asking for clarification on the purpose of some 80 flights by CIA planes that have passed through the U.K. European politicians and human rights groups claim that the flights and use of a network of secret jails breach international law.

State Department officials have hinted that Dr. Rice's response to Mr. Straw and other European ministers will remind them of their "co-operation" in the war on terror. She is expected to make a public statement before she leaves Washington later on Sunday stressing that the U.S. does not violate allies' sovereignty or break international law. She will also remind people that their Governments are co-operating in a fight against militants who have bombed commuters in London and Madrid.

An unnamed European diplomat who had contact with U.S. officials over the handling of the scandals told Reuters on Saturday: "It's very clear they want European governments to stop pushing on this... They were stuck on the defensive for weeks, but suddenly the line has toughened up incredibly."

The row over the use of secret prison is set to escalate in Washington itself as a leading U.S. civil rights group says it is taking the CIA to court to stop the transportation of terror suspects to countries outside U.S. legal authority.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

7 soldiers killed in LTTE attacks: Army
Rice set to refuse prison probe
European deal to block illegal migrants
Onassis' heiress weds
Cause of shuttle trouble
Kazakhstan goes to polls
Swamy calls for Hindu `consolidation'

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu