LONDON, Jan 16: A moderate British muslim leader severely criticised the United States Wednesday for their treatment of Al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners in Cuba, describing their prison conditions as barbaric.

“I think the treatment of these people is extremely bad. You cannot defend civilisation by descending into barbarism and that is actually a barbaric act,” Zaki Badawi told BBC radio.

“I think Mr Rumsfeld (US defence secretary) should be persuaded to change his policies by the American people and if they fail to do so they should change him,” said Badawi, principal of London’s Muslim College.

Rumsfeld “should not take al-Qaeda or the Taliban as his example” and Britain should use quiet diplomacy to change the US stance, added Badawi, who is also president of Britain’s Imam (muslim leader) and Mosque Council.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said the government was “making representations” to the United States over the prisoners’ treatment and American officials had said they would treat them in accordance with international standards.

But Hoon stopped short of saying those were currently being observed.

He told the BBC that in the first place the question whether their standards are being met “is a matter for the United States and the detaining authority.”

Rumsfeld reiterated Tuesday that the prisoners transferred to the US navy base at Guantanamo, Cuba, would be dealt with humanely but said he did not feel “even the slightest concern” about their treatment.

“What we’re going to do is find out what they know and we’re going to treat them properly. It’s not going to be a country club, but it will be humane,” Rumsfeld told a group of radio reporters.—AFP