Photos 'tool' to tarnish US

2004-12-04 20:32

Egypt - A senior US military officer said on Saturday that new pictures showing apparent abuse of Iraqi prisoners do not accurately reflect the good work done by the thousands of American soldiers in Iraq.

But Gen Mark Kimmitt acknowledged in an interview with Al-Jazeera television that some people will use the photos to tarnish the image of America's military.

Kimmitt, a senior US Central Command officer, spoke on the pan-Arab television network after the US military launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show US Navy Seals in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head.

The photos, found by an Associated Press reporter, were among hundreds in an album posted on a commercial photo-sharing web site by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq after his tour of duty.

Some of the photos have date stamps suggesting they were taken in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The far more brutal practices photographed in Abu Ghraib prison occurred months later.

Kimmitt, who was the military spokesperson in Iraq at the time of the Abu Ghraib scandal and is now based in Qatar, told al-Jazeera that he believes the photos show the acts of an isolated few.

After months of ongoing investigation, Kimmitt said the number of US military troops involved in acts of abuse has been found to be very limited.

Asked by Al-Jazeera if such pictures are a problem for the military, Kimmitt said they are certainly a "tool" and some will try to use them to show the US military in a negative light.

- AP