Andrews Air Force (Maryland), Dec. 5 (Reuters): Secretary of state Condoleezza Rice today defended US treatment of terrorism suspects, telling European allies they should trust the US as they cooperate in intelligence operations to prevent new attacks.

But in a lengthy statement before leaving on a trip to Europe, Rice did not directly address the allegation the CIA has run secret prisons in eastern Europe, an accusation that has been a lightning rod for outrage across the continent.

Rice said the US respected the sovereignty of allies, abided by the law and did not allow torture. In addition, she said allies’ intelligence agencies have worked with the US to extract information from detainees. “The intelligence so gathered has stopped terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives ? in Europe as well as in the US,” she said.