Cuba Britons 'held humanely'

The US has yet to give diplomats access to prisoners

The UK has been assured that three Britons being held among the Taleban and al-Qaeda suspects in Cuba are being treated "humanely", Tony Blair has said.

The prime minister urged MPs to wait until a British team had checked the prison conditions at the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay before making judgements on the men's treatment.

I do not feel even the slightest concern about their treatment

Donald Rumsfeld
US Defence Secretary

Diplomats are also still trying to identify the men, among a group of 50 detainees - the first of an expected 2,000 - flown to the remote base from Afghanistan.

In the Commons, Mr Blair fended off Labour MP Kevin McNamara's suggestion that the US treatment of the prisoners put "the West in danger of losing the high moral ground".

'Higher values'

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also pressed Mr Blair on the prisoners - whom the US claims are "unlawful combatants".

He said: "To maintain the global opinion which has been so successful in the fight against terrorism, we must demonstrate that our values are above those whom seek to destroy them."

Human rights groups and some MPs have expressed concern about the way the prisoners are being held, in razor wire and concrete pens measuring 1.8 by 2.4m (six feet by eight feet).

Pressure is mounting for captives to be treated as prisoners of war

Mr Blair said anyone who was captured by American or British troops should be treated according to international rules.

But he stressed the risks posed by the al-Qaeda network, with coalition troops facing potential danger from "pockets of resistance" in Afghanistan.

It would not be surprising if there was tight security around the men, argued Mr Blair.

He urged MPs to wait until the prisoners had been seen by the International Red Cross and British officials, rather than making instant judgements on the back of media reports.

"We have been in discussion with the Americans, the Americans have assured us that these people are indeed being humanely treated," said Mr Blair.

The UK had been assured the suspects were being given regular exercise and showers, as well as being allowed to respect their religious traditions.

Concerns rejected

Earlier, US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld dismissed criticism of America's detention policy in an interview with the BBC.

He said: "I do not feel even the slightest concern about their treatment.

"They are being treated vastly better than they treated anybody else over the last several years and vastly better than was their circumstance when they were found."

His stance has been condemned by Dr Zaki Badawi, principal of the Muslim College in London, who called for the UK Government to gently persuade America to treat the captives as prisoners of war.

'Sticking to law'

Mr Badawi told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "You cannot defend civilisation by descending into barbarism."

He said the three Britons should be subjected to the laws of this country and if found guilty of treason, treated as traitors.

The American military has promised that British representatives will be allowed to visit the captives, but have yet to agree on how and when the access will be granted.

Six more Britons suspected of links to the Taleban or al-Qaeda in Afghanistan are reportedly being sent to the camp.