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The controversy over the images and allegations of physical and
sexual abuse at Abu Ghraib has caused a furor in the Iraqi and
other Arab media, and foreign officials have accused the Americans
of being hypocrites for claiming to liberate Iraqis then abusing
them.
U.S. embassies in Europe, South America and the Middle East have
asked the Pentagon for help in responding to criticism in their
host countries, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
"There are certainly a lot of people who are very disturbed
by the pictures and the reports that are coming out," said
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
The Pentagon has been investigating abuse of prisoners at Abu
Ghraib since January when allegations of beatings, torture and
sexual abuse surfaced, according to the Reuters news service.
U.S. officials blame the abuse on lack of training and have pointed
the finger at the soldiers directly involved. Secretary of State
Colin Powell called the soldiers' behavior "despicable."
 But
many in Congress and in Iraq have criticized the top U.S. leadership
for not cracking down on the abuses earlier and for only reacting
after the photos were published, months after the actual incidents.
"If you wanted to write a script or a scenario as to how
you undermine the credibility of the United States in the Middle
East today, you couldn't have done a better job," Hisham
Melhem, a correspondent for the Beirut newspaper As-Safir, said
on Monday's NewsHour. "I think one could argue if you have
any illusions about winning hearts and mind in Iraq and the Arab
world for that matter, you should forget that."
Facing continued criticism at home and abroad President Bush
appeared on two Arab news channels Wednesday, condemning the alleged
abuse as "abhorrent" and pledging to punish those involved.
"There will be investigations, people will be brought to
justice," the president said. He also said what happened
in Abu Ghraib does not represent "the America I know."
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The
U.S. military has used the prison on the western outskirts of
Baghdad, called Abu Ghraib, since the fall of Saddam's regime
last year.
"Likewise,
prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly
against acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and
public curiosity," according to the convention.
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