UN grills US on compliance with torture ban

The UN today grilled the United States on its compliance with the global ban on torture for the first time since Washington declared war on terrorists, rejecting the US refusal to discuss intelligence matters like alleged secret CIA prisons and flights transferring suspects for possible torture in other countries.

The UN Committee Against Torture asked US officials about a series of issues ranging from Washington’s interpretation of the absolute ban on torture to its interrogation methods in prisons such as Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.