Dubai, June 9 2004 - The Red Cross has told Gulf News that it expressed concern over the continued abuse of prisoners in Iraq this year after a report, detailing abuse in 2003, caused a scandal.

This is the first confirmation that the abuse of prisoners, denied Geneva Convention rights, was raised by the Red Cross with the Americans after a report, later leaked, was submitted by the organisation in February.

The report only dealt with abuse up to October 2003.

US military officers had said that cases of abuse were the result of "a few rotten apples" and that action had been taken to stop abuse following the Red Cross report of early February. But on visits by the Red Cross to Abu Ghraib in February, March and May this year, the treatment of prisoners was raised.

The latest development followed the disclosure of a "smoking gun'' letter, written by the Americans to the Red Cross in Geneva last December.

The letter, stating that Iraqi inmates did not automatically enjoy the privileges of the Geneva Convention, sparked Concern by the Red Cross over the further ill-treatment of prisoners in Abu Ghraib.

The Red Cross had previously confirmed that inspection visits had taken place. It is not their policy to confirm details of any reports submitted to the Coalition authorities in Baghdad.

Red Cross inspection teams visited the prison three times this year in February, March and May. Two reports were submitted. The third report, detailing the May visit, is to be submitted before the handover on July 1.

The Red Cross report presented in February but leaked in May, published by Gulf News, covered a time period up to the end of October 2003. An oral report was submitted immediately to the US authorities in October but the written report was not submitted until February 4.

The Red Cross in Geneva confirmed yesterday to Gulf News that a letter from the US army stated that prisoners held in Iraq, many of whom were randomly picked up by US troops, did not automatically fall under the protection of the Geneva Convention. The letter was written on December 24, after the October timeframe for visits that were covered in the leaked report, which was presented in February. As a result of the letter the conditions and treatment of prisoners was raised by the Red Cross this year, a Geneva official said.

Testifying to the senate last month US Secretary of Defense stated that all prisoners in Iraq were covered by the Convention.

The Convention does not cover those held in Guantanamo.

The smoking gun letter was a response to Red Cross concerns, following the visits in October, that American guards had abused prisoners.

The letter, written on December 24, stated that "where absolute military security so requires, security internees will not obtain full Geneva Convention protection''.

The letter was in response to Red Cross concerns about prisoners deemed to have "ongoing intelligence value" who had been found naked and in total darkness at the Abu Ghraib prison.

General Janis Karpinski who was in charge of the prison in December said in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times at the end of last year, that "living conditions now are better in prison than at home. At one point we were concerned that they wouldn't want to leave." Karpinski was dismissed from her post one month later.

On March 9 Major General Antonio Taguba submitted a report highlighting abuse at Abu Ghraib.

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