Bush 'sorry' as Rumsfeld struggles to keep job

President George Bush, struggling to control a growing crisis, apologised for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers and called it “a stain on our country’s honour”.

He rejected calls for Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation but complained about Rumsfeld’s handling of the controversy.

“He’ll stay in my Cabinet,” Bush declared after White House officials spread word that the president was upset at the secretary for not alerting him about damaging pictures.

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill privately questioned whether Rumsfeld could survive and were angry that he had not shared information with them.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa stepped forward to call for Rumsfeld’s head. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats joined in.

“For the good of our country, the safety of our troops, and our image around the globe Secretary Rumsfeld should resign,” Harkin said. “If he does not resign forthwith, the president should fire him.”

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry also pushed for Rumsfeld’s removal.

“It’s the way it was handled,” Kerry said. “The lack of information to the Congress, the lack of information to the country, not managing it, not dealing with it, recognising it as an issue.”

With the reputation and credibility of the United States on the line, the controversy was inflamed by graphic new pictures.

One showed a naked man on a concrete cellblock floor, his neck in a leash held by a female American GI. Another showed a naked prisoner handcuffed to a bed with women’s underwear over his head. The photos were published by The Washington Post.

Usually loath to acknowledge mistakes or to apologise, Bush spoke up in the Rose Garden after meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah.

“I told him I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families,” the president said. “I told him I was equally sorry that people who have been seeing those pictures didn’t understand the true nature and heart of America.”

“I assured him Americans like me didn’t appreciate what we saw,” Bush said, “that it made us sick to our stomachs.”

Facing re-election and anxious to limit the damage to his administration, Bush promised that “we’ll find out the truth”.

“We’ll take a good look at the whole system to determine – to make sure that this doesn’t happened again,” he said.

Struggling for words, he said, “But I am – I am – I am sickened by what I saw and sickened that somebody gets the wrong impression of people who are serving this country and this world with such dignity.”

Bush readily acknowledged that America’s reputation had been damaged. “It’s a stain on our country’s honour and our country’s reputation. I fully understand that. And that’s why it’s important that justice be done.”

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the Justice Department was ready to prosecute any civilians or former military personnel suspected of criminal conduct.

Rumsfeld cancelled a planned speaking engagement in Philadelphia so he could meet with top aides at the Pentagon to prepare to testify today before Senate and House committees.

General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, returned early from a European trip to get ready for the appearance with Rumsfeld.

White House aides privately said they had not intended to trigger resignation calls by spreading the word that Bush was unhappy with Rumsfeld.

Rumsfeld remained behind closed doors, and aides declined to comment on matters such as how much Rumsfeld knew about the prisoner abuses before the graphic photographs were broadcast and published around the world last week.

Also in question was exactly when Rumsfeld informed Bush of the extent of the abuse.

Bush said he told Rumsfeld on Wednesday that he “should have known about the pictures and the report” done by the Pentagon before they turned up in news reports.