‘Shocking’ Abuse Of Iraqi Prisoners By U.S. Under Spot

Blair himself was reportedly appalled at the matter, according to his official spokesman Friday, reported AFP.

"The U.S. army spokesman has said this morning that he is appalled, that those responsible have let their fellow soldiers down, and those are views that we would associate the UK government with," the spokesman told reporters at Downing Street.

Asked if Blair was similarly appalled, the spokesman replied: "The government view is the same as that of the U.S. army."

He added that the photographs were in "direct contravention of all policy under which the coalition operates".

The pictures were aired on U.S. television, with many subsequently printed Friday in newspapers in Britain.

The right-wing Daily Mail splashed across its entire front page a picture of a hooded Iraq prisoner with wires attached to his hands standing on a small box, with a caption saying the man had been told he would be electrocuted if he fell off.

"We are losing their hearts and minds," was the unequivocal headline of the paper’s main editorial comment.

Clwyd, a lawmaker from Blair’s ruling Labour Party who for many years campaigned over human rights under deposed dictator Saddam Hussein and backed the U.S.-led war to remove him, said she had previously raised concerns with U.S. officials about the treatment of prisoners at the Abu Gharib prison.

"I made the point that there must be answers, because I found it very difficult to get answers, and I was told by a very senior person there: ‘We don’t do this kind of thing’," she said.

"Clearly the people in charge did not know this was going on."

Former British foreign secretary and ex-Balkans envoy David Owen said that Britain’s reputation in Iraq would also be affected by the photographs.

"I hope, I believe, nothing like this happens in the British army. But there is no joy for us," he said.

"What happens with the Americans of course impacts on us. We are in it together. It hurts us as well.

"Things go wrong in every conflict. But this is very bad to happen at this time."

The editor of London-based Arabic newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi commented that the photographs were "the end of the story" for the United States in Iraq.

"People will be extremely angry … sexual abuse is the worst thing in that part of the world. It is shocking to all Muslims," Abdel Bari Atwan said.

"America has lost the battle completely."

For its part, London-based human rights group Amnesty International said it was shocked at the pictures "but, sadly, not surprised".

"Amnesty International has taken numerous testimonies from Iraqis who allege torture at Abu Gharib and other prisons, where they are held incommunicado and without charge," said Kate Allen, British director for Amnesty.

But Clwyd said that however bad the mistreatment, there was no comparison with the situation under Saddam.

"A small number of cases, horrible though they are – you cannot compare that with the tens of thousands of people Saddam Hussein was responsible for executing and torturing," she said.

U.S. Probing

Meanwhile, the White House Friday denounced the alleged of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. occupation forces, saying the United States "will not tolerate" such behavior and vowing that those responsible will be punished, reported AFP.

"We cannot tolerate it," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. "The military is taking strong action against the individuals responsible for these despicable acts."

U.S. President George W. Bush has known about the allegations of misconduct "for a while" and expects "appropriate action to be taken against these individuals," he said. "We will not tolerate it."

Asked whether he feared anti-U.S. fallout from widely disseminated photographs and television footage of the abuse, McClellan replied: "It does not represent what we stand for."

"The military has made it very clear that they are going to pursue, to the fullest extent of the law, these individuals," said McClellan.

The U.S. military said Thursday it was investigating the serious allegations.

In March, U.S. officials revealed that six soldiers faced military trial for possible violations of the rights of Iraqi prisoners they had been guarding. But, at the time, they offered few details. Following the airing of the photographs, they now admit that the affair has become even more far-reaching, according to British daily the Independent Friday.

“In addition to the criminal charges against the six – all military police belonging to the800 th Brigade – investigators have recommended disciplinary action against seven U.S. officers who helped run the prison, including Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the commander of the800 th Brigade.”

A senior U.S. military officer in Baghdad said Thursday Karpinski, in charge of Abu Gharib prison, was suspended in late January after the six U.S. soldiers were indicted for mistreating prisoners at the notorious prison.

The Independent New York correspondent said “the revelations are acutely embarrassing for Washington, which has emphasized repeatedly its record of liberating the Iraqi people from the inhumane repression of Saddam Hussein”.