UN Cites Torture Reports At Gitmo

Human Rights Experts Say U.S. Stalling In Response To Visit Request

(CBS/AP) 
Brooks Robinson, spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to U.N. offices in Geneva, said, "U.S. policy prohibits and condemns torture."

"American personnel are required to follow this policy and applicable law," she told The Associated Press. "Credible allegations of illegal conduct by U.S. personnel are taken seriously and investigated."

Robinson said the U.S. response to the experts had been delayed because of the United States' review process which is "thorough and independent," and involves the Bush administration, Congress and the U.S. judicial system.

"It is true there is no answer yet to their request, but the main point is that their request is being addressed and discussed and reviewed in the United States," Robinson said.

"That process is underway in response to this request," she added, noting that U.S. officials have consistently denied violating the principle of humane treatment of detainees in the war on terror.

The experts said no country is above international human rights law.

"The writ of international human rights does not stop at the gates of Guantanamo Bay," said Hunt.

U.S. officials so far have allowed only the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees at Guantanamo, which began being used as a detention center for terror suspects with the arrival of the first alleged Taliban and al Qaeda members brought from Afghanistan in early 2002.

The ICRC keeps its findings confidential, reporting them solely to the detaining power, although some of the reports have been leaked by what the ICRC says were third parties. The U.N. experts would be expected to make a public report.

The four experts have all been appointed to their three-year terms by the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission, the global body's top rights watchdog. They act independently and are unpaid by the United Nations for their work although their expenses are paid.