US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has refused UN experts access to detainees at a military prison in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, dismissing a hunger strike there as a publicity stunt.
The Pentagon last week invited three UN human rights experts to
'observe' operations at the Guantanamo detention centre, but the officials said they would go only if they are allowed to interview prisoners privately.
Rejecting that, Mr Rumsfeld said the International Committee of
the Red Cross already has complete and total access.
The monitors had originally welcomed the invitation by the US Defence department, which came after almost four years of negotiations.
However, the monitors said that while they could accept some limitations, they could not consent to a ban on private interviews with detainees.
Human rights activists have criticised conditions at the camp, where several inmates are on hunger strike.
