The United States has changed its policy on interrogations of detainees, putting a worldwide ban on US personnel subjecting prisoners to cruelty, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today.
She articulated the new approach towards an international torture convention during a trip to Ukraine, in what US officials said was a policy shift that followed pressure from Europe and the US Congress.
Ms Rice said US international treaty obligations on the cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of detainees "extend to US personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States".
Her remarks during a visit to Ukraine followed confusion in the US over whether CIA employees could use means otherwise off limits for US personnel. It also follows strong and sustained criticism in Europe over techniques such as waterboarding, in which prisoners are strapped to a plank and dumped in water.
Yesterday, Ms Rice today said the Bush administration would use "every lawful means" to combat international terrorism but did not condone torture.
"We have an obligation to defend our people and we will use every lawful means to do so," Mr Rice said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
She restated her defence of the legality of US tactics against a militant enemy which "operates from within our society and is intent... on killing innocent civilians". "Any policy will sometimes result in errors, and when it happens, we will do everything we can to rectify it," Ms Rice said.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dail yesterday Ireland accepts the word of US authorities over allegations that terror suspects have been transported by the CIA through Shannon Airport on their way to interrogation camps in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
Amnesty International has said 50 such flights involving six planes had landed at the airport.
"We cannot, and will not, in this country allow any aircraft to engage in what are known as 'extraordinary renditions', to land and refuel in any Irish airport," Mr Ahern said. Ireland has not, and will not, facilitate torture of prisoners by any state.
"Any use of torture wherever it occurs would be wrong and deeply reprehensible." Mr Ahern said that all possible government powers will be exercised to stop the US using any Irish facilities where there are substantial grounds for believing that there is torture of a prisoner.
The former president of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, called for individual countries to carry out investigations on the matter.