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Europe Seeks CIA Jail Details

The European Union cited possible "violations of international law" by the United States in requesting that the Bush administration clarify media reports and "allay parliamentary and public concerns" about secret CIA prisons and the transporting of al Qaeda suspects in Europe, according to a letter from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"I am writing to you on behalf of the European Union following media reports suggesting violations of international law in the alleged U.S. detention or transportation of terrorist suspects in or through E.U. member states," Straw wrote. "The reports have attracted considerable parliamentary and public attention. The E.U. would therefore be grateful for clarification the U.S. can give about these reports in the hope that this will allay parliamentary and public concerns."

One senior European official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the disclosures, said European leaders understood that the United States was constrained from discussing specific intelligence operations. But he said Europeans were looking for "credible assurances" that no questionable activities are taking place on European soil.