Most Americans and a majority of people in Britain and South Korea say torturing terrorism suspects is justified at least in rare instances, according to AP-Ipsos polling.

The United States has drawn criticism from human rights groups and many governments, especially in Europe, for its treatment of terror suspects. President Bush and other top officials have said the U.S. does not torture, but some suspects in American custody have alleged they were victims of severe mistreatment.

The polling, in the United States and eight of its closest allies, found that in Canada, Mexico and Germany people are divided on whether torture is ever justified. Most people opposed torture under any circumstances in Spain and Italy.

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he boarded a bus in his hometown of Neu-Ulm in Germany for a holiday across the border in Macedonia

Eh?? Either the NYT's or my geography is severely challenged.

I just don't know what to say of my fellow inhumane Americans anymore:
insanity reigns in the White House.

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After Angela Merkel said Tuesday that the US admitted it erred in detaining a German national, Rice's aides challenged her comments, saying they weren't sure "what was in (Merkel's) head" when she said what she did.

Speaking to the press after a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Berlin Tuesday, Merkel said she had discussed the case of Khaled el-Masri, a Lebanese-born German national who was reportedly abducted by CIA operatives and held in Afghanistan for several months.

"The American administration has admitted that this man was erroneously taken," Merkel told reporters.

But senior US officials, who are travelling with Rice on her European tour, disagreed with Merkel's interpretation. After the news conference, they met with the chancellor's aides and asked for a explanation, saying Rice had not actually admitted to a US mistake over Masri.

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"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

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  «« click on pic for story

FM Bot stated there will be tough questioning inside the NATO meeting, and the first chance to meet Condi Rice face to face. There cannot be any light between our definition of human rights and what binds the United States government. Commentators in the Dutch media have lambasted statements of Condoleezza Rize, indicating adherence to U.S. laws and international obligations is quite different to International Human Rights and binding International Treaties of the Geneva Conventions.

Sorry if I'm repeating someone's remark.

Regarding the swedes, it is sad to see that even there, global economics outways decency.

My personal view, I find nothing in the document that leads to extrajudicial rendition and CIA torture flights.

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

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