WASHINGTON, March 18: Suspected terrorists in US custody have been transferred to third countries for the past 20 years, CIA Director Porter Goss told the Senate armed services committee on Thursday. The statement comes at a time when the US government and the CIA are under fire for ‘outsourcing’ torture to countries with questionable human rights records.

“I believe that if you go back and take a look about transfers — helping other countries deal with terrorists — you will find this is a process that’s been going on for more than 20 years,” Mr Goss told the Senate armed services committee. “I know of no instances where the intelligence community is outside the law on this,” he said.

Mr Goss also said that ‘serious allegations’ of suspects being tortured abroad that have “been brought to the attention of the proper authorities have been referred properly for investigation”.

“I know for a fact that torture is not productive. That’s not professional interrogation. We don’t do torture,” he said. On Wednesday, President George Bush said that he did not support torture, and said he received assurances from countries where US officials send prisoners that they would not be tortured.

Senator Ted Kennedy, a leading Democrat, however, said on Thursday that he was sceptical about the assurances. “Many of us are deeply concerned about the administration’s cavalier attitude towards international law and the prohibitions against torture,” Senator Kennedy said in a statement.

Porter Goss earlier voiced optimism about Iraq, saying already there had been a ‘change of thinking’ in that country since the January 30 election. Still he cautioned: “Having said all that, there is no misjudging the fact that there is still intimidation — wilful intimidation, primarily not aimed at our forces as much as innocent people and the Iraqi security and police forces. And that is, of course, intentional by the terrorists.” —AFP