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Bush backs `superb` defence chief
Washington, May 11: President George W Bush has said his embattled Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is doing a `superb job`.
Washington, May 11: President George W Bush has said his embattled Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is doing a "superb job".
Speaking to reporters after a briefing at the Pentagon on the situation in Iraq, Bush thanked Rumsfeld for his leadership.
He also promised a "full accounting" for the "cruel and disgraceful" treatment of Iraqi prisoners. Bush's praise of Rumsfeld came amid growing calls for the defence secretary to resign over the scandal.
With Rumsfeld at his side, Bush said the defence secretary was "courageously leading our nation in our war against terror".
"You are a strong secretary of defence and our nation owes you a debt of gratitude," Bush told him.
Bush had just come out of a meeting with national security officials and top generals in charge of operations in Iraq.
The White House said the meeting had been scheduled well before the scandal surrounding the mistreatment and humiliation of inmates erupted, but the abuse was a key part of the briefing. President Bush was shown more than a dozen photographs and still images from video of US military guards apparently abusing Iraqis. White House spokesman Scott McClellan declined to describe the content of the images, but said Bush was disgusted by them.
Pentagon officials say they are still deciding whether the photographs seen by Bush and others not yet published in the media should be released publicly. With new pictures surfacing almost every day - the latest showing soldiers with dogs surrounding a naked prisoner - efforts to draw a line under the scandal appear to have failed.
Bush pledged that any US soldiers who abused prisoners would be brought to justice. "The conduct that has come to light is an insult to the Iraqi people and is an affront to the most basic standards of morality and decency," he said.
The president also praised the more than 200,000 US military personnel who had served in Iraq since the conflict began last year. "I know how painful it is to see a small number dishonour the honourable cause in which so many are sacrificing," he said.
Bureau Report
The White House said the meeting had been scheduled well before the scandal surrounding the mistreatment and humiliation of inmates erupted, but the abuse was a key part of the briefing. President Bush was shown more than a dozen photographs and still images from video of US military guards apparently abusing Iraqis. White House spokesman Scott McClellan declined to describe the content of the images, but said Bush was disgusted by them.
Pentagon officials say they are still deciding whether the photographs seen by Bush and others not yet published in the media should be released publicly. With new pictures surfacing almost every day - the latest showing soldiers with dogs surrounding a naked prisoner - efforts to draw a line under the scandal appear to have failed.
Bush pledged that any US soldiers who abused prisoners would be brought to justice. "The conduct that has come to light is an insult to the Iraqi people and is an affront to the most basic standards of morality and decency," he said.
The president also praised the more than 200,000 US military personnel who had served in Iraq since the conflict began last year. "I know how painful it is to see a small number dishonour the honourable cause in which so many are sacrificing," he said.
Bureau Report