Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to give allies in Europe a response next week to their pressure over Washington’s treatment of terrorism suspects: back off…
But Rice will shift to offense when she visits Europe next week, in a strategy that has emerged in recent days and been tested by her spokesman in public and in her private meetings with European visitors.
She will remind allies they themselves have been cooperating in U.S. operations and tell them to do more to win over their publics as a way to deflect criticism directed at the United States, diplomats and U.S. officials said.
Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said Rice told him in Washington she expected allies to trust that America does not allow rights abuses — a sign she will avoid giving Europe a detailed response on U.S. intelligence work.
And she refused to give Ahern a personal assurance Ireland has not been used for secret prisoner transfers, saying he had already heard that denial from the U.S. ambassador, a senior State Department official said…
There are signs Europe has already begun to get the message to ease up on the controversy.
Ahern said he accepted the U.S. word. Germany, whose foreign minister also pressed Rice this week during a visit, said it would wait patiently for a U.S. response….
What steps do you think European leaders can take to stamp out criticism of US torture camps?
