U.S.: EU Report on Secret Prisons is 'Rehash'

WASHINGTON – The United States on Wednesday dismissed a European Union report on alleged CIA secret prisons in Europe as "a rehash."

"We don't see any new solid facts in it," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

McCormack said U.S. officials have not had the opportunity to thoroughly read the report, but said "I think that we're certainly disappointed at the tone and the content of it."

The report by Swiss Sen. Dick Marty found evidence that planes carrying terror suspects stopped in Romania and Poland and likely dropped of detainees there. It offered no direct proof, however, that the CIA set up detention centers in Europe.

McCormack said that renditions, transfers of terror suspects to third countries, are legal and said the report suggested that intelligence activities were inherently bad. He said international intelligence cooperation saves lives.

At the White House, press secretary Tony Snow would not comment on the report.

He said nations have practiced renditions for a very long time.

"Carlos the Jackal, you may recall, by rendition ended up in a French jail. Nations have to work together on intelligence matters, Snow said.

The Venezuelan-born Carlos, whose real name is Illich Ramirez Sanchez, was convicted of terrorism and is serving a life sentence in a French jail.

He was captured in Khartoum, Sudan, in 1994, and hauled in a sack to Paris by French secret service agents. Venezuela questions whether Ramirez's rights were violated when he was abducted and whisked away to France.

Snow also said the United States does not condone nor practice torture.

"Torture is illegal and we acknowledge and follow all international laws," he said. "Furthermore, we will not agree to send anybody to a nation or place that practices torture."