US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Friday it was "possible" that his resignation could help demonstrate the seriousness of the Bush administration towards the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, but he would not resign under political pressure.

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Rumsfeld was asked by a committee member whether his resignation would help undo the damage done by the abuse scandal.

"That's possible," Rumsfeld responded tersely.

Earlier he was asked by another member for his response to calls by Democrats and news media for his resignation. Rumsfeld said the only factor in his decision is whether he can still be effective as defense secretary.

"Certainly since this firestorm has been raging, it's a question that I've given a lot of thought to," Rumsfeld said. "Thekey question is ... whether or not I can be effective."

"Needless to say, if I felt I could not be effective I'd resign in a minute. I would not resign simply because people try to make a political issue out of it," Rumsfeld said.

Amid growing international uproar over the abuse crisis, prominent Democrats, including presidential candidate John F. Kerry and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, have demanded Rumsfeld's resignation.

The New York Times also called for Rumsfeld's resignation. In its editorial Friday, the newspaper said: "It is time now for Mr. Rumsfeld to go, and not only because he bears personal responsibility for the scandal of Abu Ghraib. That would certainlyhave been enough."

Senator Carl Levin, ranking Democrat at the Senate committee, said at the hearing that not only those directly involved in the abuse should be held account, "so must anyone up the chain of command" who knew or should have known of these abuses and looked the other way.

President George W. Bush apologized for the abuse for the firsttime on Thursday, but rejected calls for the resignation of Rumsfeld.

Source: Xinhua