Rice reassures NATO allies on CIA prisons
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-08 20:49

LITTLE APPETITE

European allies were seen having little appetite for a head-on confrontation with Rice over allegations which could explode in their face if any complicity emerged on their part.

Rice sought to deflect criticism of U.S. policy before leaving for Europe on Monday, saying that European intelligence agencies had helped Washington extract information from suspects and urging allies to see "we are all in this together."

In Kiev on Wednesday she announced that the United States had explicitly banned its interrogators around the world from treating detainees inhumanely, a policy shift made several weeks ago but not spelled out by a top official until Wednesday.

The New York-based campaign group Human Rights Watch said in a statement the policy shift was inadequate because she still had not addressed allegations the CIA runs secret prisons or explicitly ruled out certain interrogation techniques, such as making detainees feel like they are drowning.

NATO has insisted that the detention policies adhered to by its peacekeeping operations in areas such as Afghanistan and Kosovo bear up to scrutiny.

However the Netherlands -- which is considering whether to send a further 1,100 troops to Afghanistan as part of the NATO expansion there -- has said it wants additional assurances over how the NATO force will treat any detainees.