Rice, Off to Europe, Defends U.S. Policy
forbes/ap: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended U.S. treatment of terror suspects on Monday and responded to an outcry in Europe over reports of secret CIA-run prisons there, suggesting U.S. intelligence had saved European as well as American lives.
Embarking on a five-day trip to the continent, she did not elaborate about saving European lives - nor confirm existence of the prisons - but said the United States has "fully respected the sovereignty" of cooperating countries.
"Some governments choose to cooperate with the United States in intelligence, law enforcement or military matters," she said. "That cooperation is a two-way street."
Her comments implied that if any European governments provided secret prisons, they did so willingly. "So now, before the next attack, we should all face the hard choices that democratic governments face," Rice said.
She spoke at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland before boarding her plane. She is seeking to quell growing European concern over reports of CIA-run prisons in former Soviet bloc countries and the use of European airports to transport terror suspects.
Although she stopped short of confirming the existence of such prisons, Rice said that "the captured terrorists of the 21st century do not fit easily into traditional systems of criminal or military justice."
"We need to adapt," she said.
Rice said America does not practice torture or knowingly transport any detainee to a place "where he or she will be tortured." Read more
db: Clearly Rice is using the word 'torture' under the careful guidance of perverted government lawyers and is not denying the use of abusive and inhuman [torture] techniques - 'we need to adapt'.
Renditions themselves are illegal under international law - unless, in exceptional circumstances, the aim is to bring the subject to justice via a court in accordance with the law in the host country. Not as a means of depriving a victim of his or her liberty in order to interrogate the subject for two or three years and then, maybe, do something in some sort of 'court' or other at an unknown place at an unknown time in the future.
Embarking on a five-day trip to the continent, she did not elaborate about saving European lives - nor confirm existence of the prisons - but said the United States has "fully respected the sovereignty" of cooperating countries.
"Some governments choose to cooperate with the United States in intelligence, law enforcement or military matters," she said. "That cooperation is a two-way street."
Her comments implied that if any European governments provided secret prisons, they did so willingly. "So now, before the next attack, we should all face the hard choices that democratic governments face," Rice said.
She spoke at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland before boarding her plane. She is seeking to quell growing European concern over reports of CIA-run prisons in former Soviet bloc countries and the use of European airports to transport terror suspects.
Although she stopped short of confirming the existence of such prisons, Rice said that "the captured terrorists of the 21st century do not fit easily into traditional systems of criminal or military justice."
"We need to adapt," she said.
Rice said America does not practice torture or knowingly transport any detainee to a place "where he or she will be tortured." Read more
db: Clearly Rice is using the word 'torture' under the careful guidance of perverted government lawyers and is not denying the use of abusive and inhuman [torture] techniques - 'we need to adapt'.
Renditions themselves are illegal under international law - unless, in exceptional circumstances, the aim is to bring the subject to justice via a court in accordance with the law in the host country. Not as a means of depriving a victim of his or her liberty in order to interrogate the subject for two or three years and then, maybe, do something in some sort of 'court' or other at an unknown place at an unknown time in the future.
posted by exoplanet at 9:06 PM
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