Minister accused over dossier

Amnesty International today accused defence minister Adam Ingram of an "unfortunate lapse of memory" as it released extracts from letters which appear to contradict his statements to the House of Commons about abuse of prisoners in Iraq.

Amnesty said it submitted a detailed dossier to defence ministers on alleged British torture in late October last year - and received a letter from Mr Ingram, dated 11 November, acknowledging receipt of the report and saying it would be looked into. Writing to Amnesty's secretary-general Irene Kahn, Mr Ingram said that he was "very concerned" about the alleged abuses detailed in the dossier. He added: "I would like to reassure you of the seriousness with which the Government treat allegations such as these."

Amnesty today published a report accusing British forces in Iraq of shooting civilians - including an eight-yearold girl.

The dossier - revealed in later editions of yesterday's Evening Standard - said "many" were not properly investigated, while Royal Military Police probes had been "secretive" and gave grieving families little information.

The report highlights the case of eight-year-old Hanan Saleh Matrud, apparently shot last August by a member of B Company of the 1st Battalion of the King's Regiment.

An eyewitness told Amnesty researchers that the girl was killed when a soldier aimed and shot from a distance of about 60 metres, and not accidentally hit by a warning shot as claimed by the Army.

Another case highlighted in the report was that of Ghanem Kadhem Kati. The 22-year-old was shot dead as he celebrated a family wedding.

Amnesty called for a civilian-led investigation into all killings by British forces, with the findings made public.

Opposition MPs were today demanding more details from the Government on how much ministers knew of the catalogue of prisoner abuse cases listed both by Amnesty and in a major study by the International Red Cross.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon told MPs he had not been shown a "copy" of the Red Cross report, which concluded that torture was "widespread" and " systematic" until very recently.

Speaking in the Commons last Tuesday, Mr Ingram said: "You asked whether I had received any adverse or other reports. I have seen no such reports, but some may be in the process of being compiled."

Neil Durkin, a spokesman for Amnesty, said: "We have been raising allegations of serious abuse of prisoners with the MoD and Foreign Office for nearly a year, and it is undoubtedly the case that ministers have been made aware of these allegations.

"It seems like an unfortunate lapse of memory on Mr Ingram's part."

Mr Durkin said that Amnesty had raised mistreatment with British ministers or officials on at least five separate occasions since the end of major combat operations

If Mr Ingram was shown to have been inaccurate in the Commons he could be forced to apologise - and might face calls to resign.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has persuaded a "disgusted" President Bush to halt the release of further photographs showing abuse by American troops.

Mr Bush was shown the images at a private meeting - and reacted with "disgust and disbelief ". They include an Iraqi prisoner being forced into a sex act and other images so graphic that they left Mr Bush "in deep disgust and disbelief that anyone who wears a uniform would engage in such shameful acts," according to White House spokesman Scott McClennan.

The President was said to have grimaced as the portfolio was unveiled, sources said.

US military commanders have now seized more than 1,000 photos and brief video clips stored on three CDs. Only a small number show abuses against Iraqis, while most are of male and female American soldiers having sex.

They are also said to provide evidence of "a total breakdown in discipline and authority" at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, according to one senior Washington source who has viewed them.

Senior Pentagon officials have fought a rearguard action to prevent the rest of the photos from being released, arguing that they will only inflame tensions further and put the lives of US soldiers at risk.

Mr Bush is braced for a new storm tonight when the author of a US report on abuses gives testimony to Congress. General Antonio Taguba has described the abuse as "sadistic, blatant and wanton".

There are also signs that the row is seriously damaging to Mr Bush's reelection campaign. An opinion poll for CNN and USA Today shows him and his Democratic opponent John Kerry locked in a statistical dead heat.