The United States remains under pressure over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, despite apologies for the scandal from US President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address that the abuse of Iraqi prisoners was conducted by "a small number of American servicemen and women" which has stained the country's honor and reputation.

"These individuals had been given the responsibility of overseeing Iraqis in American custody, and doing so in a decent and humane manner, consistent with US law and the Geneva Conventions (on the rules of war)," said Bush, who had apologized earlier in the week.

On Friday, Rumsfeld apologized for the abuse and said he took full responsibility for the scandal when he appeared before the Senate and House of Representatives armed services committees to explain why it took so long to reveal the investigation.

However, the apologies did not shield the United States from accusations over the scandal.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Saturday described US soldiers' abuse of Iraqi prisoners as "torture," saying that itdisgraced the Washington-led coalition in Iraq.

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey summoned the US and British ambassadors Saturday to express "disgust and anger" at therevelations of mistreatment.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer publicly criticized thehumiliating treatment US soldiers inflicted on Iraqi prisoners on Saturday, saying "an investigation must be made into those responsible for such bad treatment and degrading behavior and theymust be punished."

Meanwhile, numerous European papers clamored for the resignation of Rumsfeld, dismissing his apology and warning he must step down or be fired to contain fallout.

The conservative German paper Die Welt said, "The calls for hisresignation can no longer be ignored."

France's Le Monde said the scandal "is what happens when a power -- even democratic -- openly considers itself above law."

Britain's Guardian said Rumsfeld "is not just America's problembut our problem too. That is why America needs a new defense secretary."

Britain's influential news magazine The Economist already set the tone Friday. A full-page editorial entitled "Resign, Rumsfeld"said that when standard drops so law responsibility must be taken." And if he won't resign, Mr. Bush should fire him."

Arab countries responded with fresh outrage Saturday over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

Egypt, Bahrain and Kuwait strongly denounced the abuses.

Egypt's People's Assembly called the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad "torture" and demanded those responsible beharshly punished.

In Bahrain, the parliament issued a statement saying "it vigorously condemns these savage acts against the most basic humanrights... and asks the coalition forces, especially the United States, to punish those implicated in these acts."

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Sabah said the abuse recalled the brutality suffered by hundreds of Kuwaitis at the same Abu Ghraib jail under Saddam Hussein's rule.

Saudi Arabia's Arab News called on Rumsfeld to step down Saturday, saying Iraq "is a country lurching toward chaos while the people some hoped would help to save it ... now stand revealedas liars, torturers and murderers."

In the United States, the Bush administration has been criticized for not doing enough to stem fallout from the scandal.

Retired general Wesley Clark said in a Democratic radio response to Bush's address that "apologies are not enough. These criminal acts of abuse must be investigated fully and those responsible must be held accountable under law. The issues at stake here go to the very heart of the American mission in Iraq."

Source: Xinhua