PANAMA CITY, Nov 7: The United States will do what it takes to protect itself but ‘we do not torture’, President Bush said on Monday in response to criticism of reported secret CIA prisons and the handling of terrorism suspects.

Bush defended his administration’s efforts to stop the US Congress from imposing rules on the handling of terrorism suspects.

He did not confirm or deny the existence of CIA secret prisons that the Washington Post disclosed last week and would not address demands by the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the suspects reportedly held at them.

“We are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice,” Bush said at a news conference with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos.—Reuters