Senate committee grills Pentagon officials

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz appeared Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The panel is trying to determine if the prisoner abuse was limited to a small group of soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison or if the problem was more widespread and military leaders were involved.

Photos of hooded, naked Iraqi prisoners being sexually humiliated and apparently injured by their American captors have touched off an international outcry. Pentagon officials say the treatment in the pictures goes well beyond approved interrogation techniques.

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But the approved techniques have also raised concerns on the committee. A summary of "Interrogation Rules of Engagement" provided to senators by Army officials says that, with a general's written approval, prisoners could be subjected to stressful positions for up to 45 minutes, isolation for more than 30 days, military dogs and up to 72 hours of "sleep management."

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he believed the policy would allow prisoners to be held "naked, with a bag over their head, squatting with their arms uplifted for 45 minutes."

Both Pace and Wolfowitz said such treatment would appear to violate the Geneva Conventions. But they said they weren't familiar with the interrogation techniques approved for use in Iraq.

The Pentagon late Thursday issued a statement saying the scenario Reed described would be "contrary to our regulations. Senator Reed is mistaken."

As senators pursue their inquiry, they are expected to call other top military officials. Senators have particularly expressed interest in hearing from Undersecretary of Defence Douglas Feith; Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top US commander in Iraq; and Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, the commander of Abu Ghraib.