British officials are on their way to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to assess the welfare of three British prisoners among some 100 suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters held there by the US.
British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's official spokesman said: "A team of officials is on their way and will be there to help the process of identification. They will look at the prisoners' welfare and also help the US authorities with their legal inquiries."
A team from the International Red Cross was today beginning an investigation into whether the US military is violating the rights of the prisoners.
As the latest batch of prisoners settled in to chain-link cells bringing the total number of detainees to 110, four members of the International Committee of the Red Cross met US officials yesterday to plan interviews with dozens of al Qaida and Taliban prisoners.
It was the first time independent experts were given a look at Camp X-ray, the name given to the Guantanamo Bay US Navy base.
Human rights advocates say the prisoners are faced with inhumane conditions but US officials insist the captives' rights are respected.
The Red Cross team, which included a doctor and linguist who has worked in Russia, arrived on a small plane from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mr Urs Boegli, head of the team, said findings of the prisoners' conditions would be shared with US authorities but said he was not sure whether the findings would be made public. The first interviews were expected to be carried out today.
Military officials say the camp will soon be able to hold 320 inmates, or more if they are doubled up two to a cell. Workers also are building a permanent prison to hold up to 2,000.
The United States is holding more than 300 prisoners at the Marine base at Kandahar airport, in Afghanistan, and a few others elsewhere.
AP & AFP