'Many, many' Iraq abuse probes ongoing, says Republican senator

1.00pm

WASHINGTON - There are "many, many" criminal investigations going on of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, well beyond Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, a leading Republican senator said on Sunday

"This is deeper and wider than I think most in this administration understand," US Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska told CBS's Face the Nation.

US officials have insisted the abuses at Abu Ghraib were carried out by a handful of soldiers and not part of a systematic programme of brutality.

Hagel said he could not discuss matters presented to him as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee but they extended beyond the ongoing controversy over Iraqi prisoners of war at the prison. The panel was briefed on Friday by top intelligence and Army officials.

"There are many, many investigations ongoing now as a result of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, deaths that came at the hands of United States officials," Hagel said.

He said some of the probes have been referred to the US Justice Department. "It's probably in the range of 30, maybe more than that, of investigations, not all are homicide," he said.

The scandal exploded last week with the release of photographs showing grinning uniformed personnel posing in front of naked detainees.

So far, seven military police have been charged with abusing prisoners in the prison where Saddam Hussein tormented thousands of Iraqis, and a court martial was set for one in Baghdad next week.

The army said on Friday it was investigating possible abuse by US soldiers of 42 Iraqi civilians in addition to 35 investigations of abuse of prisoners.

The army said previously it was looking into the deaths of 25 prisoners held in Iraq or Afghanistan, determining there were two homicides by Americans against Iraqi prisoners, one case of justifiable homicide and 12 cases in which the cause of death was natural or undetermined.

Ten other deaths and 10 cases of non-lethal assault remain under investigation, the Army has said.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq