Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday defended US treatment of terrorism suspects, telling European allies they should trust the United States as they cooperate in intelligence operations to prevent new attacks.
But in a lengthy statement before leaving on a trip to Europe, Rice did not directly address the allegation the CIA has run secret prisons in Eastern Europe, an accusation that has been a lightning rod for outrage across the continent.
"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," Rice said in a statement she read out before leaving for Berlin, her first stop.
The European Union has demanded Washington address claims of secret prisons to allay fears of illegal US practices among the European public and parliaments, already critical of US prisoner-abuse scandals in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Human rights groups say holding detainees incommunicado is illegal and often leads to torture.
Rice, speaking at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., said the United States had carried out renditions for decades in co-operation with allies.
"Renditions take terrorists out of action, and save lives," Rice said, referring to the covert transfer of detainees to foreign states for interrogation. "Such renditions are permissible under international law," she added.
Rice said the United States respected the sovereignty of allies, abided by the law and did not allow torture. In addition, she said allies' intelligence agencies have worked with the United States to extract information from detainees.
"The intelligence so gathered has stopped terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives - in Europe as well as in the United States and other countries," she said.
Rice said "terrorists" were sometimes captured far from their homes and had information that could save thousands of lives. "We must bring terrorists to justice wherever possible."
In a sign of the sensitivity of the intelligence and the delicate diplomacy involved in the controversy, Rice delivered a statement that was crafted over days by senior administration officials but she did not answer questions from reporters.
She said her statement was a response to European inquiries about US practices, especially because she believed some activities were misunderstood.
"I hope (the) debate also includes a healthy regard for the responsibilities of governments to protect their citizens," said Rice, who gave her stern message in a soft voice.
For a month, the United States has been on the defensive, refusing to deny or confirm media reports it has held prisoners in secret in Eastern Europe and transported detainees covertly through airports across the continent.
Rice stayed loyal to the Bush administration's argument that intelligence concerns prevent either the confirmation or denial of such a prison network.
"We cannot discuss information that would compromise the success of intelligence, law enforcement, and military operations. We expect that other nations share this view," she said.
Rice is expected to be bombarded with questions about prisoner abuse and the issue of secret detentions during her trip to Germany, Romania, Ukraine and EU headquarters, Brussels.
Her emphasis during the trip that European allies have been co-operating in the war on terrorism is meant to stop governments pressing too hard for fear they will expose themselves to similar criticism.
Some European Union governments face awkward and persistent suggestions that they may have known and approved of secret US operations taking place on their soil.