London - Amnesty International said Wednesday that the US administration of President Barack Obama has "failed to deliver" on human rights during its first 100 days in office. Marking the date with an assessment of Obama's policies, the London-based human rights organization said the US government had sent "mixed messages" on its counter-terrorism efforts and made "promises for change with only limited action."

Amnesty links its charge of "failing to deliver on human rights" to the US decision not to prosecute Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents who relied on legal advice from the Department of Justice in carrying out their duties, "apparently even if they committed torture."

"This amounts to giving immunity to some of those responsible for acts of torture, and is itself in violation of international law," said Amnesty secretary general Irene Khan in the assessment.

However, there had also been "some important positive developments," she added.

The planned closure by the end of this year of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre announced by Obama, and the promise to "end secret CIA detentions and break with the secrecy of the Bush administration" were both very welcome, Khan said.

"Closure and disclosure will not be complete until the US government follows through by ending all unlawful detentions, bringing to justice all those responsible for torture and other serious human rights violations carried out during the Bush administration, and providing real remedies to victims," she added.

The report also criticized the Obama administration's failure so far to "take substantive steps to ensure that there is accountability for the widespread human rights violations" associated with the so-called war on terror under the previous Bush administration.

However, "towards the end of the 100 days," President Obama had indicated a "degree of support for a bipartisan process to examine past policies and practices," the report added.

It said Obama had sent "mixed messages" on counter-terrorism policies and made "promises for change with only limited action."

"The question we are asking is whether President Obama's promise of change and the initial steps taken by his administration herald an ultimately substantial and enduring shift towards respect for human rights in the fight against terrorism. We will continue to campaign for such change in the days, months and years ahead," it said.(dpa)