Terry Waite has attacked the Bush Administration today by comparing its treatment of terrorism suspects in Cuba and Iraq as the same as the treatment he received while held hostage for five years in Beirut.

The former envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury also criticised the British Government, because it has "gone along" with the mistreatment of prisoners by sending British interrogators to question terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Mr Waite implored the British Government to speak out in protest at the way Washington is handling the detainees, who are being held without charge and denied access to lawyers and their families in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba.

Although he had no direct evidence of torture being used at the US naval base in Cuba, Mr Waite said he would not be surprised if that turned out to be the case.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "When I was a hostage, I was taken by my captors, with whom I was negotiating, because they suspected me of being an agent of a government.

"They blindfolded me and took me away and under harsh conditions I was subjected to interrogation and, had I not been able to convince my captors that I was in fact a humanitarian negotiator, I would have certainly been executed.

"That process is almost identical to the process adopted by America in dealing with these people who have been labelled by (US Defence Secretary) Donald Rumsfeld as 'hardcore well-trained terrorists'.

"They have not had any access to due process and they are put under a very ambiguous status in this camp and kept under very harsh conditions."

Asked if he thought American troops were torturing prisoners at Camp Delta, Mr Waite said: "I have heard that such techniques have been used and I have treated them with great caution because we don't have any direct evidence.

"It wouldn't surprise me for one moment if those conditions had been such whereby torture had been applied on those people, and I think it is disgraceful."

Mr Waite added: "I feel that our Government ministers ought to speak out and ought to have spoken out much more clearly on this issue.

"We have in some ways gone along with what's happening in Guantanamo Bay. I am told that we have had interrogators there from our intelligence services. I don't think our protest has been strong enough."

'Appalled' by Carey revelations

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Waite also condemned the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey's decision to discuss the private life of the Prince of Wales in a book.

Lord Carey revealed earlier this month that he had counselled Prince Charles over his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles and stated publicly that they should now marry.

Mr Waite said: "I didn't work with Archbishop Carey and I haven't read his book, but I have read extracts from the book.

"If what I have heard is true, then quite frankly I am appalled. I think, in matters like this, the Church has to guard pastoral confidence. If that can't be done, I think it is a great shame.

"I am quite upset by the whole thing because, whenever I hear these comments made, my thoughts are with those two boys, Harry and William.

"If the Church can't hold its confidence and keep quite on these matters, it is a sad day for all of us."