Rice allays CIA prison row fears Condoleezza Rice's tour of Europe has been dogged by the row European ministers are satisfied with Condoleezza Rice's explanation on the issue of alleged secret CIA prisons overseas, Nato and EU officials say. They met the US secretary of state ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. Ms Rice has stressed that US interrogators are banned from using torture both at home and abroad. US Congress members who campaigned on the issue say it is a major concession. The White House denies a policy shift. Nato and EU foreign ministers said Ms Rice had assured them, at a closed-door meeting on Wednesday evening, that the US did not interpret international humanitarian law differently from its allies.
Condoleezza Rice's tour of Europe has been dogged by the row European ministers are satisfied with Condoleezza Rice's explanation on the issue of alleged secret CIA prisons overseas, Nato and EU officials say.
They met the US secretary of state ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels.
Ms Rice has stressed that US interrogators are banned from using torture both at home and abroad.
US Congress members who campaigned on the issue say it is a major concession. The White House denies a policy shift.
Nato and EU foreign ministers said Ms Rice had assured them, at a closed-door meeting on Wednesday evening, that the US did not interpret international humanitarian law differently from its allies.
If there is one thing the Bush administration counts on, it is that European leaders will not stand in his way as he tortures, wages war, and gains access to mideast oil fields for the oil industry. I see no evidence that Bush is wrong in his assessment of Europe's commitment to human rights and justice -- Bush can always count on Europe, the same way he counts on the complicity of the U.S. media.
Finally, you should not be debaing whether renditions and torture occur. No one in the U.S. doubts this. The debate here is whether torture is acceptable. Sadly, a large segment of the U.S. population now supports torture as policy.
