BEIJING, Mar. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. President George W. Bush had signed a secret directive just days after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that authorized the CIA to operate without case-by-case approval from the White House in the transfer of terrorist suspects -- a process known as "rendition", The New York Times reported over the weekend.

    The rendition program has been under investigation in recent weeks following several former detainees' complaints about inhumane treatment. 

    U.S. human rights groups also criticized the operation which they think violated American standards condemning torture.

    But White House counselor Dan Bartlett defended the administration's policies to give the CIA extensive authority to send terrorism suspects to foreign countries for interrogation.

    It was important after the Sept. 11 attacks to take a "hard look at our entire apparatus -- militarily, intelligence, diplomatic -- to see how we were going to fight and win the war on terror," he said.

    US officials described the program as an alternative to the costly, manpower-intensive process of housing terror suspects in the United States or in American-run facilities in other countries.

    The CIA declined to comment on the report, and the White House would not confirm the directive which The New York Times said is still-classified. Enditem

    (Agencies)