US human rights criticised

Anti-war protests are expected in Ireland

Amnesty International's Irish section has strongly criticised the United States' human rights record on the eve of President Bush's visit to Ireland.

The section's director, Sean Love, said there was "clear evidence of torture by American soldiers in Iraq".

President Bush's 18-hour visit this weekend for an EU-US summit, as part of the Irish presidency of the European Union, has been widely criticised by many anti-war groups.

Amnesty International's Irish section is the latest to add its voice.

Mr Love called on the EU to confront the American president on what it called the "horrors" of the detention centres in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Afghanistan and other secret locations.

In an open letter to the President of the European Council, Bertie Ahern, Mr Love said the EU had been "shamefully silent about the clear evidence of torture by American forces".

He also said that by failing to protect the human rights of those who may be guilty, the US Government was endangering the rights of those who may be innocent, and that puts everybody else at risk.

The EU-US summit is taking place in Dromoland Castle, County Clare.

The letter, signed by Sean Love and the director of Amnesty International's EU Office in Brussels, Dick Oosting, said Mr Bush should not leave Ireland without a clear message that the EU "expects its single-most important partner to abide by the absolute ban on torture laid down in international law".

A security operation involving thousands of troops and police is to be mounted ahead of the visit.

Demonstrations by anti-war protesters are expected to take place close to Shannon airport and in Dublin.