US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Thursday visited the US-run Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad,Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV channel reported.

Rumsfeld and armed forces chief General Richard Myers arrived in Baghdad earlier Thursday on a surprise visit to the war-torn country.

Their visit came amid growing criticism over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US military guards.

Rumsfeld's visit came a day after the US-led coalition in Iraqordered two more American soldiers to stand trial for charges related to abuses of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison.A third soldier was already scheduled for court-martial at may19.

At a Senate hearing Wednesday in Washington, Rumsfeld said Defense Department lawyers had approved methods such as sleep deprivation and dietary changes as well as rules permitting prisoners to be made to assume stressful positions. Myers also told senators the military has taken steps to correctthe problems that led to abuses, including replacing the military police unit that took some of the photos.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has been holding hearings to determine whether prisoner abuses were limited to the Abu Ghraib facility.

Source: Xinhua