US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, has told the Senate Armed Forces Committee in Washington that he accepted full responsibility for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US forces.
Protesters shouting for him to be sacked heckled Mr Rumsfeld, who apologised to the prisoners.
Mr Rumsfeld said he would resign 'in a minute' if he thought he could not be effective, but not if the Iraq prison scandal was turned into a 'political issue'.
His evidence comes as the International Committee of the Red Cross said that the abuses it found in US-run prisons in Iraq was systematic and amounted to 'torture'.
The committee also said that it had expressed concern to Britain about prisoners being detained by its forces in Iraq.
Last night, US President George W Bush told a White House news conference that photos of what went on at the Baghdad prison made him feel 'sick to the stomach'.
He said he had informed Mr Rumsfeld on Wednesday that he should have been told about the pictures and a report on the abuses before they hit the news media.
However, Mr Bush has rejected growing calls for Mr Rumsfeld's resignation over the issue.
