'Impossible position' Allegations have potential to damage Europe as well as America While the US will continue to face questions about whether secret prisons exist, European governments will also be pressed on how much they knew. The US assertion that it respects the sovereignty of other nations suggests that it would have informed their allies of their activities - at least to some extent. Tom Malinowski, Washington-based Advocacy Director of Human Rights Watch, says Ms Rice is in an impossible position. Mr Malinowski says she cannot confirm the allegations because they are true, and she cannot deny them because that would put European allies in an extremely difficult position. He also questions the wisdom of the European Commission to threaten sanctions against any country that may have housed secret prisons. In his view, the EU should be doing the opposite - encouraging members states to come clean. 'The biggest loser' But it is the US and its image that will suffer the most. US reassurances that it does not allow the torture of prisoners will count for little if no-one can see what is really going on.
Allegations have potential to damage Europe as well as America
While the US will continue to face questions about whether secret prisons exist, European governments will also be pressed on how much they knew.
The US assertion that it respects the sovereignty of other nations suggests that it would have informed their allies of their activities - at least to some extent.
Tom Malinowski, Washington-based Advocacy Director of Human Rights Watch, says Ms Rice is in an impossible position.
Mr Malinowski says she cannot confirm the allegations because they are true, and she cannot deny them because that would put European allies in an extremely difficult position.
He also questions the wisdom of the European Commission to threaten sanctions against any country that may have housed secret prisons.
In his view, the EU should be doing the opposite - encouraging members states to come clean.
'The biggest loser'
But it is the US and its image that will suffer the most.
US reassurances that it does not allow the torture of prisoners will count for little if no-one can see what is really going on.
That said, what is nothing short of amazing is that confirming the allegations would not put her or the Bush administration in a difficult position, but the Europeans. This means HRW does not think any serious domestic political consequences for the Bush administration will come from this. And that is amazing. guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper
She cannot confirm them, because they are illegal, and she would thus be guilty of a crime if she admitted to (knowing about) it.
She cannot deny it because it would prove to us Europeans that the Americans can lie to our representatives without fear of consequences.
This is really what this is about. Legal fall out in the US, and political fall out in Europe. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
