New photographs said to depict an aggressive interrogation of naked Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison were shown on the NBC network on Wednesday.  

The pictures obtained by the network show three naked Iraqi prisoners clumped together on the floor during an interrogation and the use of aggressive tactics against them, NBC "Nightly News" reported.

One photo shows a man sitting in a chair with his back to the camera near the prisoners on the floor. NBC said the man was identified as a civilian interpreter.

Another picture shows a soldier, identified as a military intelligence officer, standing over the prisoners after apparently throwing an object at them, NBC said. In the photo, the object appears to be suspended just off the floor.

A third photo shows a soldier with his knee pressing down on the neck of one prisoner, while apparently questioning another, according to the network's description.

The abuse scandal at the Iraq prison has inflamed the Arab world and undermined US efforts in the country before the handover of power on June 30 to an interim Iraqi government.

Senior defense officials said this week that the top military officer in Iraq, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez would be replaced in June or July. But they insist that the change was not triggered by the prisoner abuse case.

Seven US soldiers have been charged with physically and sexually abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, who was in charge of US-run prisons in Iraq during the abuse, has been suspended as commander of the military police brigade at the heart of the scandal.

(China Daily via agencies, May 27, 2004)