[JURIST] US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales [official profile; JURIST news archive] told reporters in Spain Tuesday that the perception that the US does not support the rule of law is "disappointing." Gonzales acknowledged that the international reputation of the US has been injured by several ongoing news stories, including the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal, allegations of US rendition flights, and secret prisons in Europe [JURIST news archives]. Gonzales further said the solution may be to better explain the war on terror to Europe and the rest of the free world.

Gonzales also stressed that the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) [text], signed into law [JURIST report] earlier this month, will ensure fair trials for terror suspects. In a separate speech [transcript] Monday, Gonzales explained [transcript] that the MCA approves military tribunals that incorporate those "procedural protections that we regard as fundamental," including "the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty by competent evidence beyond a reasonable doubt," a trial before an impartial military judge, and representation by a JAG Corps officer. AP has more.