Condi's thinking, "Now, what am I going to do with all those whips, chains, and kinky black leather outfits...."

Yes, overseas detainees, you have been very, very naughty, but now it looks like Condi won't be punishing you quite as much as before:

KIEV (Reuters) - The United States, seeking to defuse European criticism over reports of abuse of prisoners, said on Wednesday it had changed its policy on interrogating detainees.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on a trip to Ukraine, said U.S. personnel would be banned worldwide from subjecting prisoners to cruelty.

But Amnesty International immediately played down the significance of Rice's remark saying: "It is not a major concession."

It said it still wanted serious action by Washington over what it called cases of torture in U.S. bases.

"As a matter of U.S. policy, the United States' obligations under the CAT (Convention against Torture), which prohibits cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment -- those obligations extend to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the United States or outside of the United States," Rice said.

U.S. officials said her comments marked a policy shift toward the international convention on torture. Previously, the Bush administration had interpreted the convention as only applying to U.S. territory.

So, offshore detainees, this could be your lucky day. But, those of you detainees fortunate enough still to be here on the sacred soil of the land of the free and the home of habeas corpus and due process, well..., you're still shit out of luck.


Original photo caption: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looks on during a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko (not pictured) in Kiev December 7, 2005. The United States changed its policy on interrogations of detainees on Wednesday, putting a worldwide ban on U.S. personnel subjecting prisoners to cruelty, Rice said. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)