By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
 
ENEVA, April 22 - At the United Nations human rights forum, meeting here, Cuba decided Thursday against forcing a vote on reports of rights abuses at the detention center at the United States naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

But in a stinging attack, the Cuban ambassador, Jorge Iván Mora Godoy, accused the American government of blackmailing members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights that have citizens in the detention camp into rejecting the draft resolution.

The United States responded with equal vigor, saying that Washington was ready to discuss concerns about Guantánamo because it had nothing to hide.

Cuba said it chose to withdraw what seemed to be the first proposal that directly questioned the human rights record of the United States.

"With the complicity of the European Union and various Latin American countries, the United States and their allies are preparing to present a motion of no action as soon as Cuba has concluded this introduction," Mr. Godoy said, a reference to a procedural vote that would have blocked Cuba's measure.

"But the Commission should not join in this exercise," the ambassador said. "Therefore, Cuba will not force a vote on this subject."

Mr. Godoy accused the United States of "threatening and blackmailing" countries with citizens detained at the naval base.

The Cuban ambassador said the United States had warned those countries that casting a vote in favor of the Cuban resolution "would prevent or hamper the contacts with, the release or transfer of those people."

But Richard Williamson, who leads the American delegation to the human rights assembly, dismissed the accusation.

"You know when a Cuban lies,'' he said at a news conference. "It is when they move their mouth."

Mr. Williamson dismissed the Cuban challenge as a misplaced political response to a resolution backed by the United States that was narrowly passed by the commission last week censuring Cuba's treatment of detained political dissidents.

But he said that concerns contained in the draft resolution should be addressed.

"We think it is a serious issue that deserves serious discussion," he said, while adding, "We do not feel we have anything to hide on Guantánamo."

Over the past three years, the United States has captured hundreds of fighters and terrorism suspects in Afghanistan. About 600 are still detained at the Guantánamo prison, where they are held in legal limbo, most with no charges brought against them and with no access to legal counsel.

Washington has declined to give the detainees prisoner of war status under the Geneva Convention and has reserved the right to bring the detainees before military tribunals that could hand down death sentences.

Breaking a policy of avoiding direct confrontation over the matter, Cuba, in its proposal, referred to "reliable information" that prisoners are held without charges and denied the right to a fair trial.

The text called on the United States to end such abuses and clarify the living conditions and legal status of the detainees.

Without addressing possible motives behind the resolution, Joanna Weschler, a spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch, said she agreed with the points it raised.

"We are disappointed that this resolution was withdrawn," she said. "There has not been a tremendous amount of light on this situation to begin with because the access is so difficult and now this situation is going to continue."