The ICRC is waiting a response both from the coalition and Iraqi authorities on the ICRC request for access to the Prisoners of War (POWs), said Muin Al Kassis, adding, "We have not been given access to the prisoners on both sides yet".

"Until such visits (to the POWs) are ensured the well being and safety of POWs is the responsibility of the detaining authorities"

He said ICRC has reminded the parties concerned of their obligations regarding POWs.

Kassis mentioned that ICRC would like to make sure that the POWs taken by both sides are registered with the agency and that they have "at least minimum" humane conditions to live in.

He noted that it has been made clear to both sides holding the prisoners that the international laws require they should adhere to the Geneva convention and the POWs be treated in a way that ensures them physical safety and human integrity.

"The pictures I saw were a clear violation of Geneva convention" Wimhurst said.

At the same time he cleared U.S. forces of the same allegations leveled by the Iraqi authorities.

"The Iraqi POWs were shown on U.S. networks in the shape of groups and they were not interviewed on camera" he added.

Iraqi prisoners were shown on TV Stations and interviewed by foreign reporters since the second day of the invasion campaign.

Earlier Monday, the representative in France of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera defended the decision to broadcast Iraqi pictures of U.S. prisoners-of-war, saying the criticism from some quarters smacked of double standards.

"For 10 years pictures of Palestinian prisoners have been shown all over the world, and in the Gulf everyone has been watching images of Iraqi prisoners kneeling in humiliation," said Michel Kik.

Kik was summoned for an interview Monday with the head of the Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA), France's broadcast watchdog, after Al-Jazeera on Sunday showed state Iraqi TV pictures of American solders being questioned in captivity.

"Why just me? Why aren't the representatives of other international channels who broadcast pictures of Iraqi prisoners being summoned as well?" he asked.

The ICRC president Jakob Kellenberger said that he was hopeful about the Iraqi response to the approaches.

"I do not yet know the result of our approaches in Baghdad as far as access to U.S. prisoners of war are concerned," Kellenberger was quoted by Agence-France-Presse (AFP) as reporting from the Geneva-based headquarters.

"But I do note, and it's very important, that Iraq's defense minister has confirmed that for Iraq the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention are applicable," Kellenberger added.

Speaking at a press conference Sahaf said “war criminal (President George W.) Bush shed crocodile tears on the Geneva Convention and his hands are stained with the blood of the innocent Afghani and Vietnamese women and children.”

Under its mandate as guardian of the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC carries out private visits to check on the treatment of prisoners of war and to pass on messages to their families.

The Third Geneva Convention covers protection for captured combatants.