US on the defensive over reported secret CIA prisons
1 hour, 13 minutes ago
The White House refused to confirm or deny that the CIA operates secret prisons, known as "black sites," for Al-Qaeda suspects in Eastern Europe and other places around the world.
President George W. Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said the United States will do what is necessary to fight and win the war on terrorism.
"The president has been very clear we're doing that in a way that is consistent with our values and that is why he's been very clear that the United States will not torture," Hadley told reporters.
"The United States will conduct its activities in compliance with law, (and) international obligations," he said.
The Washington Post reported that the prisons are, or have been, located in eight countries including Thailand, Afghanistan and "several democracies in Eastern Europe" since the system was set up after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The names of the eastern European countries were withheld by the Post "at the request of senior US officials," who argued that the disclosure might disrupt counter-terrorism efforts. Thailand denied there was a prison there.
Hadley and White House spokesman Scott McClellan refused to confirm or deny the Post report. "I would say that the president's most important responsibility is to protect the American people," McClellan said.
The refusal to discuss the matter was echoed by US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Central Intelligence Agency.
But former president Jimmy Carter denounced what he said was "a profound and radical change in the basic policies or moral values of our country" in reaction to the report.
"This is just one indication of what has been done under this administration to change the policies that have persisted all the way through our history," said Carter, who championed human rights during his 1977-81 presidency.
