Rice tight-lipped on secret jails

THE United States yesterday denied that it was involved in the torture of terrorist suspects, but refused to dampen speculation that it is operating secret prisons within Europe.

Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, said America did not permit or tolerate torture but added that it would use "every lawful weapon to defeat these terrorists".

Her remarks were welcomed and echoed by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, who said Britain and its allies must be ready to use "every tool at our disposal" within the rule of law in the battle against terrorism.

Mr Straw wrote to Dr Rice on behalf of the European Union last month to ask about the treatment of detainees, following reports that terror suspects were being transported to countries in which they might be tortured, under a practice known as extraordinary rendition.

Several European governments have raised concerns about the practice, including the German administration, which said it would question Dr Rice when she visits Berlin about hundreds of over-flights and landings by alleged CIA planes.

Liberty, the civil liberties pressure group, has asked police to investigate claims that CIA flights carrying detainees had stopped at UK airports, including Prestwick, Glasgow and Edinburgh, to refuel on their way to prison camps in eastern Europe and the Middle East.

But speaking at Andrews Air Force Base before embarking on a trip to Europe, Dr Rice steadfastly refused to talk about such secret camps.

"We cannot discuss information that would compromise the success of intelligence, law enforcement and military operations. We expect other nations share this view," she said.

Ms Rice also maintained that actions taken by US intelligence agencies had prevented attacks on European targets. "Information gathered by US intelligence agencies from a very small number of extremely dangerous detainees helped prevent terrorist attacks and saved lives in Europe as well as in the US and other countries," she said.

"The US has fully respected the sovereignty of other countries that have co-operated in these matters. The US is a country of laws."

In Germany, her first stop, a government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said it was hoped that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, would discuss the question of 400 over-flights and landings by planes suspected of being used by the CIA.