One of the appalling pictures broadcast by CBS

CAIRO, May 1 (IslamOnline.net) – Several American citizens wrote Saturday, May 1, to IslamOnline.net Guest Book saying they were "ashamed" of and "disgusted" at the recently disclosed pictures showing their troops sexually abusing and torturing Iraqi prisoners.

"I am disgusted and ashamed of the behavior of our troops who engaged in abuse of Iraqi prisoners. As a U.S. citizen I would like to offer an apology to the victims, the people of Iraq and also to all Muslims," wrote Rick from Oklahoma.

One of the shocking pictures, broadcast by the American news network CBS, showed U.S. troops meting out apparent torture and sexual abuse to Iraqi prisoners.

Another showed a hooded prisoner with wires attached to his hands, standing on a box. CBS said he had been told that if he fell off, he would be electrocuted.

Rick branded the U.S. soldiers involved as "criminals" who should receive "swift judgment and the longest prison sentence possible".

"Those in charge, who did not know this was going on at the time, should be kicked out of our military. These U.S. criminals will NOT be welcomed back to the U.S."

Although he supported the ouster of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, Rick believed that the behavior of those soldiers and officers would undermine "the course of freedom and peace" in the occupied Arab country.

"If I come across one of them, I will spit in their face for what they have done to their victims, to my country's credibility and to the cause of peace and freedom," Rick concluded his participation.

Another American, who used the name Clytemnestra, agreed that the soldiers should "and will" be punished.

"As an American, I am disgusted and ashamed of the behavior of those troops who engaged in abuse of Iraqi prisoners. There is no acceptable explanation for this," he wrote.

Clytemnestra disagreed with the argument that the U.S. government was censoring media, pointing out that if this was the case the notorious pictures would never have come to light.

Mathew, a third visitor, branded the pictures as "really disgusting".

"I am ashamed of my country as we are morally bankrupt and cannot defend this uncivilzed behavior".

No Excuse

Gary, a fourth visitor, asserted that there is no excuse whatsoever for humiliating the Iraqi prisoners.

He agreed that the soldiers responsible for the despicable act should face a court-martial and be given dishonorable discharges.

But he said the horrific pictures, yet, should not leave the impression that all Americans are "morally bankrupt".

"Most of the country is made up of good hearted, generous, honorable people. I am not ashamed of my country. I've been ashamed of the actions of some of my countrymen," Gary wrote.

"We are not responsible for every injustice in the world. We may too eager to end injustices but we do cause them all. We are not the ‘Great Satan.’ No one I know ever blew anyone up."

The pictures drew fire from all over the world.

Wartime U.S. President George W. Bush said he shares "a deep disgust that those prisoners were treated the way they were treated".

In March, U.S. officials revealed that six soldiers faced military trial for violations of the rights of Iraqi prisoners they had been guarding.

In July 2003, four U.S. soldiers were charged with assaulting and battering Iraqi prisoners of war, in the first announcement of its kind since Bush declared the war to occupy Iraq over on May 1.

A spokesman for the London-based human rights watchdog Amnesty International said the organization submitted a 25-page report to the U.S.-led occupation administration in Iraq on "excessive use of force, shooting demonstrators, maltreating prisoners and civilians by American soldiers".