Rice refuses to say if CIA has secret European prisons

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has refused to say whether the CIA operates secret prisons in Europe.

Speaking before embarking on a visit to Europe,

Ms Rice said: "We cannot discuss information that would compromise the success of intelligence, law enforcement, and military operations. We expect other nations share this view".

She said that information gathered by US intelligence agencies from a "very small number of extremely dangerous detainees," had helped prevent terrorist attacks and saved lives "in Europe as well as in the United States and other countries".

But she denied the US used torture and defended the US treatment of terrorism suspects, telling European allies they should trust the United States.

In a lengthy statement she added: "It is up to those governments and their citizens to decide if they wish to work with us to prevent terrorist attacks against their own country or other countries and decide how much sensitive information they can make public.

"They have a sovereign right to make that choice," Ms Rice said in a statement at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, before leaving for Europe.

She said the United States would use "every lawful weapon to defeat these terrorists".

Ms Rice said the United States had carried out renditions, the secret transfer across of suspects to foreign states for interrogation, for decades in co-operation with allies.

Dr Rice reads a statement to reporters today. Pic: Reuters/J Scott Applewhite/Pool

"Renditions take terrorists out of action, and save lives," Ms Rice said. "Such renditions are permissible under international law," she added. The US has sent some prisoners to countries such as Egypt that are known to practise torture.

British foreign secretary Jack Straw has written to Ms Rice on behalf of the European Union, asking her to explain media reports about secret CIA prisons - including two allegedly sited in Poland and Romania.

Washington has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of secret prisons, prompting Dutch foreign minister Ben Bot to warn that his country could reconsider its 1,100-strong military presence in Afghanistan if the Americans "continue to beat around the bush" on the issue.

A number of European countries have begun inquiries into allegations that their airports were used for rendition flights, but the Government has consistently said it has no evidence that such flights have used Irish airports.

The New York Timesreported last week that 26 aircraft "known to be operated by CIA companies" flew 307 flights in Europe since September 2001, including 33 in Ireland. Only Germany and Britain, with 94 and 76 flights respectively, hosted more CIA flights than Ireland.

The paper said its information came "from Federal Aviation Administration data, aviation industry sources and, to a lesser extent, a network of plane spotters who often report to human rights groups".

Ms Rice told Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern last week that Shannon airport has never been used for CIA rendition flights.

Mr Ahern said he accepted her assurance, which had confirmed what US officials had told the Government consistently. "She was very categorical that Shannon has not been used for anything untoward. We fully accept the categorical assurance of a friendly nation," Mr Ahern said.

Agencies