'Not the America that I know'

2004-05-05 17:24

Washington - President George W Bush said on Wednesday in an interview to be broadcast on Arab TV that the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by some members of the US military was "abhorrent" but does not represent "the America that I know."

The people of Iraq "must understand that what took place in that prison does not represent the America that I know."

Bush's appearance on Arab television was set for the day after the Army disclosed that it is conducting criminal investigations of 10 prisoner deaths in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus another 10 abuse cases.

In addition, the deaths of two Iraqi prisoners already have been ruled homicides. In one case, a soldier was court-marshalled, reduced in rank and discharged from the army. In the other homicide, a CIA contract interrogator's conduct has been referred to the justice department for criminal prosecution.

"There will be investigations, people will be brought to justice," Bush said of the alleged humiliation and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, a notorious prison during Saddam Hussein's regime that was taken over by US troops.

He also said that the US inquiry would look into whether such instances of abuse also took place in other prisons. "We want to know the truth," Bush said.

Bush said he retained confidence in Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and talked to him earlier on Wednesday and told him to "find the truth and tell the Iraqi people and the world the truth. We have nothing to hide."

- AP