Condoleezza Rice today defended America's practice of secretly abducting terrorist suspects to interrogate them in bases belonging to the US government and its allies.

In a robust statement issued shortly before she left on a four day tour of European capitals, the US Secretary of State gave the Bush Administration's first detailed response to reports that the CIA operates secret prisons in Eastern Europe, and covertly detains and transports alleged terrorists through Europe.

"The United States will use every lawful weapon to defeat these terrorists," said Dr Rice.

Seeking to head off mounting criticism from European governments, Dr Rice said that the US did not torture detainees, and insisted that co-operating with local officials to remove terrorist suspects so that they can be questioned and prosecuted abroad, a practice known as "rendition", was a crucial tool in the campaign against terrorism.

"Rendition takes terrorists out of action and saves lives," said Dr Rice, who referred to the successful prosecution of "Carlos the Jackal", real name Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, who was taken from Sudan to face trial in France in 1994.

Although she described the process of "rendition" and credited it with saving lives in Europe, Dr Rice refused to address the underlying question of whether the CIA runs secret prisons on airbases in Eastern Europe, an allegation made by human rights campaigners.

"We cannot discuss information that would compromise the success of intelligence, law enforcement, and military operations. We expect other nations share this view," said Dr Rice said in her statement at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.

Dr Rice strenously denied reports that the US uses the practice of rendition to torture terrorist suspects or deliver them to countries where torture is routine.

"The United States does not use the air space or airport of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee when we believe he or she will be tortured," she said.

"The United States does not transport, and has not transported detainees from one country to another for the purpose of interrogation using torture.

"The United States has fully respected the sovereignty of other countries that have co-operated in these matters. The United States is a country of laws. My colleagues and I have been sworn to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Dr Rice's mention of sovereignty implied that any American counter-terrorism operations conducted in Europe and elsewhere have enjoyed the co-operation of local governments.

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