Thursday, July 13 2006 10:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: In a major shift of policy, the Bush administration has announced that it will apply relevant Geneva Conventions to all terror suspects in American custody with the Pentagon saying the measure will also cover detainees in the custody of the Central Intelligence Agency at secret or undisclosed facilities overseas.

The reversal of policy follows a Supreme Court ruling that essentially tossed out one of the administration's cardinal procedures in implementing the war on terrorputting through detainees at Guantanamo Bay through military commissions and in the process depriving them of principles of international law and the Geneva Conventions.

The Supreme Court, in a 5 to 3 ruling, said that military commissions violated US law and the Geneva Conventions.

But even in the face of having to make a retreat in policy the Bush administration is trying to put on a brave front saying US has always treated persons in its custody humanely and that terrorists picked off the battlefield do not qualify protections under the Geneva Conventions.

The new Pentagon Policy has called on defence officials to make sure that personnel adhere to Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which provides basic protections for all terrorism suspects picked up on the battlefield.

Some analysts believe that at a very minimum it would be quite clear to military personnel as to what is and what is not acceptable in interrogation.