US President George W Bush says he is determined that Iraqi prison abuses will never happen again, as public doubts over his Iraq policy sent his job approval rating to a record low.
In his weekly radio address, Mr Bush again suggested the abuse scandal was limited to those directly involved at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. He noted that charges have been filed against seven soldiers and the first trial is set to begin next week.
"My administration and our military are determined that such abuses never happen again," Mr Bush said. "All Americans know that the actions of a few do not reflect the true character of the United States armed forces."
A Newsweekmagazine poll released yesterday showed Mr Bush's job approval rating sinking to a record low for his presidency, 42 per cent. The poll said 57 per cent of Americans disapproved of his handling of Iraq.
US military interrogation techniques have come under scrutiny following revelations of abuse at Abu Ghraib, which had been a torture center under ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Prisoners were kept naked, stacked on top of each other, compelled to wear hoods over their heads, forced to engage in sex acts, struck by American jailers and photographed in humiliating poses.
Defence officials said on Friday that the US military had imposed a blanket prohibition on the use of several interrogation methods in Iraq, including sleep and sensory deprivation and body "stress positions."
The abuse scandal, coupled with other bad news from Iraq, influenced the drop in Mr Bush's approval rating.