The European Commission declined Monday to give a direct answer on whether it would formally contact Washington about the reported existence of secret CIA detention facilities on European soil.
The issue gained renewed urgency after President George W. Bush publicly acknowledged for the first time that the CIA had operated covert overseas prisons, though he stated that no detainees remained in those facilities. He noted that the program itself was still active.
Elmar Brok, who chairs the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, called on the commission over the weekend to officially ask Washington which European locations had hosted such sites.
Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger declined to say yes or no when pressed on whether Brussels would send such a formal inquiry. He characterized Bush's disclosure as not constituting a new situation, and said the commission fully supports the European Parliament's ongoing investigation into the matter, hoping for broad cooperation from both EU members and outside parties.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.