The United States has begun defending its treatment of foreign terrorism suspects held abroad in front of a United Nations Committee.
It is the first time the US appeared before the Geneva-based UN Committee on Torture since starting its war on terror following the 11 September 2001 attacks.
The head of the US delegation, John Bellinger, said there had been relatively few actual cases of abuse.
He said that 30 senior US officials would answer the committee's questions, but could not comment on intelligence activities.
The US has been accused of allowing the torture and inhumane treatment of foreign terror suspects at detention centres in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere.
