Rights group says CIA rendered 14 suspects to Jordan

By Claudia Parsons

NEW YORK (Reuters) - At least 14 people have been secretly handed over by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to Jordan for interrogation and torture since the September 11 attacks, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday.

"While a handful of countries received persons rendered by the United States during this period, no other country is believed to have held as many as Jordan," the New York-based rights group said in a statement.

U.S. President George W. Bush says the United States does not use torture. His administration has acknowledged sending terrorist suspects to other countries but only under assurances they would be treated according to international law.

CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano said, as a rule, the agency does not comment on allegations of specific renditions.

"Renditions are a lawful, valuable tool and they have been used for years to take terrorists off the streets. The United States does not transport individuals for the propose of torture and has no interest in any process that would produce bad intelligence," Gimigliano said Tuesday evening.

CIA Director Michael Hayden said in September the total number of such rendition flights was under 100.

The renditions have caused serious frictions with close U.S. allies in Europe.

Critics complain the CIA has mistreated prisoners and operated clandestine flights under the secret "rendition" program in which suspects were handed over to countries like Egypt and Syria, where critics say they could be tortured.