The fight against terrorism must observe the rule of law, French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said today in a thinly-veiled criticism of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin
"In order for the fight against terrorism to be as effective as possible we have to act while respecting our values and our rules," Mr de Villepin said during a speech at the Institute of Higher Studies of National Defence.
"Let us avoid zones where there are no rights, let us reject anything that can give rise to arbitrariness, whether this means military interventions without the international community's authorisation, exceptional tribunals, or detention centres outside the framework of international law," he said.
"The greatest determination in the face of terrorism, yes, but always while respecting the rule of law."
Later tonight, Italy's Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema urged the United States to close Guantanamo Bay.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Mr D'Alema said he joined his European counterparts in calling for the closure of the prison.
However, Ms Rice said "dangerous" people needed to be held somewhere.
US President George W. Bush acknowledged earlier this week that the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where three detainees committed suicide last weekend, has damaged the US image abroad and said it should be shut down.
However, Mr Bush added a plan for relocating the prisoners was needed first and said he also was awaiting a Supreme Court decision about the forum for handling detainee cases.
The US military is holding 460 foreigners at the Guantanamo prison, many of whom were captured in Afghanistan in the US-led war to oust the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Nearly all are being held without charge.