EU MPs unhappy with Romania probe on CIA flights

BUCHAREST, Oct 19 (Reuters) Romania has made only ''superficial'' efforts to investigate reports CIA planes used its territory to transfer terrorist suspects across Europe, the European parliament commission investigating the flights said.

A team of EU investigators checking the Black Sea state's progress in uncovering evidence of secret US-led operations or detention facilities ended their first fact-finding mission to Bucharest today.

''The way the authorities conducted the investigations on the alleged CIA flights in Romania seems superficial. We are talking about more than 20 flights,'' Claudio Fava, the rapporteur of the commission, told a news conference.

''We are talking about planes that had landed not with the aim to refuel. I believe that more research by the Romanian parliament committee (probing the flights) is needed,'' he added.

A Council of Europe investigators earlier this year accused US allies Romania and Poland of hosting the jails.

Bucharest has denied such detention centres have been ever set up on its soil but Fava said some Romanian officials did not rule out that illegal flights could have occurred.

Fava said EU investigators were still uncertain whether a Black Sea airbase in Romania, used by the US army as a hub to send equipment and troops into Iraq during the 2003 invasion, was used by the CIA for the so-called renditions.

''What we can say about the Kogalniceanu base is that we could not find any new elements that would confirm or deny the possibility that this base has hosted prisoners under the authority of the United States,'' Fava said.

''We continue to have doubts. ... We cannot rule out the possibility the CIA could have organised the transit of detainees through that airport, without the knowledge of Romanian authorities.'' US President George W Bush said in early September the CIA had interrogated dozens of suspects at undisclosed oversees locations.

Bush has strongly defended the secret detention and questioning of the terrorism suspects and said the CIA treated them humanely and did not torture.

The detention programme, disclosed last year by The Washington Post, provoked an international outcry.

Carlos Coelho, president of the EU parliament commission investigating the flights, said a final report will be ready next year.

''In our report, which will be probably voted on in January 2007, we will make recommendations in order to reinforce the control (across Europe) ... and make sure such illegal actions do not take place in the future,'' he said.

REUTERS PB MIR BST1845