An unscheduled hearing was being held today in the case of a US soldier in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, whose civilian lawyer had said yesterday that he wanted to represent him by telephone.

A hearing in Baghdad for a US soldier accused of prison torture was postponed today because his lawyer was too frightened to go to Iraq and wanted to defend him by phone

The US military has denied a report that the top American general in Iraq was present during some interrogations at the Abu Ghraib prison and witnessed some of the abuse of Iraqi inmates.

The US military command today branded as false a news report that the top US general in Iraq was present during some interrogations at the Abu Ghraib prison and witnessed some of the abuse.