Waite blasts US terror treatment

Terry Waite claims UK ministers should speak out on US policy

Former Middle East hostage Terry Waite has condemned US treatment of suspects in the war against terror.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme the methods the US used were "almost identical" to his own experiences at the hands of kidnappers in the Lebanon.

Mr Waite also criticised the UK government for not protesting strongly enough against American tactics.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's former special envoy was held by the radical Islamic group Hezbollah for five years.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Waite described his kidnap ordeal.

They have not had any access to due process they are put under a very ambiguous status in this camp and are put under very harsh conditions Terry Waite

He said he had been blindfolded, subjected to interrogation and would "certainly have been executed" had he not convinced his captors that he was a peace envoy.

"That process is almost identical to the process the state is adopting in America in dealing with these people who have been labelled by Donald Rumsfeld as hardcore well-trained terrorists.

"They have not had any access to due process they are put under a very ambiguous status in this camp and are put under very harsh conditions."

'Absolutely disgraceful'

Mr Waite also said that he "would not be surprised" if high officials had sanctioned the harsh treatment of prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.

He labelled reports from the prison "absolutely disgraceful".

He also said that UK ministers "ought to speak out much more clearly" on the treatment of terror suspects.

"We have in some ways gone along with what has happened in Guantanamo Bay - I'm told that we have had interrogators from our intelligence services working in Guantanamo Bay.

"I just don't think our protests have been strong enough," he said.

Our policy is that they should be tried in accordance with international standards or be returned to the UK Foreign Office spokesman on Guantanamo detainees

Mr Waite travelled to the United States in March to appeal for the release of all hostages from Guantanamo Bay.

He said their continued detention was likely to increase terrorism by sending people to extremes.

A Foreign Office spokesman said no government had done more than the British for its nationals at Guantanamo Bay.

"We have visited our people far more often than other governments and are working hard to resolve the position of the remaining British nationals held there."

"We have successfully secure the return of five nationals," he said.

"Our policy is that they should be tried in accordance with international standards or be returned to the UK," he added.