Senate grills abuse report author

Found on BBC on Monday, 10 May 2004
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A US general who reported on abuse by US forces against detained Iraqis is being questioned by a committee of Congress investigating the scandal.

Maj Gen Antonio Taguba found "numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses" in his report.

Correspondents say it has grown ever more embarrassing for George W Bush ahead of the US presidential election later this year and appears to be having a severe effect on the American public's view of the entire Iraq war.

Gen Taguba's report says detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison were forced to commit sexual acts, were threatened with torture, rape or attack by dogs, and were hidden from Red Cross visits, "in violation of international law".

The investigation was completed on 3 March, the Pentagon said, but by 4 May the defence secretary had still not read it fully.

The report was originally kept secret but later leaked to the media.

If this material wouldn't have leaked, the report would have simply vanished. How good it is to know that the US, our big freedom-bringing brother, has put an end to all the torture, rape and power abuse. How refreshing it is to see that reports of extreme abuses are released almost instantly to the public, not fearing the political impact. How perfect they handle a war which luckily stopped Iraqs world-threatening terror regime and the countless WMDs it had...

Update: BBC decided to change the headline to "Commanders blamed for Iraq abuses" and rewrite parts of the article.