President George W. Bush has asserted that he retains the right to authorise abuse of detainees under extreme circumstances, despite agreeing to legislation last month that explicitly prohibited such treatment.

In a statement attached to Mr Bush's signing of a defence spending bill last week, the White House said it would construe the bill's ban on "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of detainees "in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the president" and his powers as commander-in-chief.