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U.S. Rejects Prisoner Torture Allegations as International Concern Mounts
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Islam Online & News Agencies

Federal Judge Howard Matz had been asked by a group of human rights advocates to order the prisoners to appear in a U.S. civil court to hear the charges against them, saying that Washington's incarceration of the suspects, violates the U.S. Constitution and the Geneva Convention. But at Tuesday's hearing, Matz declined to rule on the petition and instead heard arguments over whether he had jurisdiction in the case.

WASHINGTON -- Source
The United States on Wednesday rejected charges it was torturing Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners as concern mounted Tuesday over the condition of prisoners held at a U.S. naval base in Cuba, news agencies reported.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld angrily denied prisoners transported from Afghanistan to a U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba, were being ill-treated or subjected to torture, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

"The treatment of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay is proper, it's humane, it's appropriate, and it is fully consistent with international conventions," Rumsfeld told a Pentagon news conference.

He defended the classification of the detainees as "unlawful combatants," rather than as prisoners of war with certain rights under the Geneva Convention -- a categorization that has provoked grave concern from many world leaders and outrage from human rights activists and groups.

More questions were raised after publication of photographs of a group of kneeling, handcuffed prisoners wearing dark goggles, earmuffs, mittens and bright orange jumpsuits.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the fact that Washington has linked the prisoners to the September 11 terror attacks that killed more than 3,000 people should make no difference.

"Maintaining our values, our principles and our behavior is fundamental for the ultimate battle against fanaticism and terrorism," Solana said.

But Rumsfeld acknowledged Tuesday intelligence gathering has been given precedence over the swift administration of justice and he gave no indication how long the detainees would be held without charges.
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Dan