January 27, 2005 - THE US Defence Department has been asked to investigate a website being used by American soldiers to post grisly pictures of Iraqi war dead.

The site (http://www.undermars.com/), which has been operating for more than a year, describes itself as "an online archive of soldiers' photos".

Dozens of pictures of decapitated and limbless bodies are featured on the site with tasteless captions, purportedly sent in by soldiers.

Captions include "plastic surgery needed", "road kill" and "I said dead".

Australian expat Iraqis, most of whom supported the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, have been angered by the website and called on the US government to ensure it was taken down.

US President George Bush in 2003 demanded the Iraqi military not release photographs of US war prisoners for publication and the Pentagon has banned publication of pictures of coffins containing US war dead being transported back to America.

Australian Iraqi Forum president Dr Riadh al-Mahaidi said: "It is abhorrent to see gruesome pictures of dead bodies in Iraq posted on this offending website.

"It is no less cruel and sickening than web postings by terrorist groups of decapitated bodies of kidnapped victims."