Rendition Week: Condi to answer questions on Rendition by reminding us of our obligations in fighting terrorism.

Dear Secretary,

As the president of the Council of European Union, I am writing to you on behalf of the European Union, following media reports suggesting violations of international law in the alleged US detention or transportation of terrorist suspects in or through EU member states.

This matter was discussed by EU foreign ministers at the meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council on November 21.

The reports have attracted considerable parliamentary and public attention.

The European Union will therefore be grateful for clarification the US can give about these reports in the hope that this will allay parliamentary and public concerns.

I am sharing a copy of this letter with my European colleagues.

Your sincerely,

Jack Straw

Q Secretary Rice is going to Europe next week, and one of the places she's going is Romania, where it's alleged that the CIA maintains a secret detention center. Do you think that these -- that it undermines the U.S. campaign for human rights and the advance of democracy, when the United States has these secret prisons where it's alleged that people are treated harshly or even severely?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you're talking about allegations of so-called secret prisons, and I'm not going to get into talk about national security matters. But what I will talk about is the war on terrorism that we're engaged in. We're sitting here talking about the war on terrorism. We remain a nation at war. And the President's highest responsibility is the safety and security of the American people. And he is going to continue to act in a way to better protect the American people, but he's going to do so consistent with our laws and our values and our international obligations. We made that very clear. And Secretary Rice has indicated that she will be responding to the letter from Foreign Secretary Straw in due course.

We are glad to talk about these issues. There are sometimes difficult issues you have to address when it comes to a war like this, because we face a different kind of enemy, an enemy that abides by no laws, that abides by no treaties, and an enemy that wears no uniform, and an enemy that seeks to kill innocent men, women and children throughout the civilized world. We're all engaged in the global war on terrorism. We all have a responsibility to take the fight to the terrorists and defeat them and prevent attacks from happening. All of us in elected office have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect our people.

But we also have a responsibility to respect the laws and the values and the treaty obligations that we have agreed to.

Q Is what you've just said -- do you anticipate that that will be her answer to the criticism that she'll face in Europe over these alleged secret --

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, she'll be responding in due course. There's been an interagency input into her response, and that --

Q What is that?

MR. McCLELLAN: What's that?

Q What is that interagency response?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you'll hear more from her in due course.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will inflame the transatlantic row over America's alleged torture of terror suspects in secret jails by telling Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and other European officials to 'back off'.

Rice, who arrives in Brussels tomorrow for a meeting with Nato foreign ministers, has been under pressure to respond to claims the US has been using covert prisons in Eastern Europe to interrogate Islamic militants. Human rights groups have alleged the CIA is flying terror suspects to secret jails in planes that have used airports throughout Europe, including Britain.

Rice's refusal to answer detailed questions on what has become known as 'extraordinary rendition' will anger many in Europe. Last week Straw wrote to Rice asking for clarification about some 80 flights by CIA planes that have passed through the UK. European politicians and human rights groups claim the flights and use of a network of secret jails breach international law.

State Department officials have hinted that Rice's response to Straw and other European ministers will remind them of their 'co-operation' in the war on terror. She is expected to make a public statement today stressing that the US does not violate allies' sovereignty or break international law. She will also remind people their governments are co-operating in a fight against militants who have bombed commuters in London and Madrid. She will drive home her message in private meetings with officials in Germany and at the EU headquarters in Brussels.