U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld apologized and took responsibility for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of U.S. soldiers.

"These events occurred on my watch. As Secretary of Defense, I am accountable for them, and I take full responsibility," Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

He also announced more photographs and possibly some videos would emerge, saying they "depict incidents of physical violence towards prisoners; acts that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman. Congress and the American people and the rest of the world need to know this."

According to some military families familiar with the photos, they include severe beatings, dog attacks and forced sex.

At one point, Rumsfeld was asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., South Carolina): "What do you say to those who are calling for your resignation?"

"Needless to say if I thought I could not be effective, I'd resign in a minute," Rumsfeld said, but added: "I would not resign simply because people try to make a political issue out of it."

However, at another point, he appeared to leave the open to an early departure.

"Would it serve to show how seriously we take this if you were to step down?" asked Sen. Evan Bayh (D., Indiana).

"It's possible," Rumsfeld admitted.

U.S. President George Bush said Thursday Rumsfeld would be remaining in his cabinet.

However, reports suggest that Bush has privately been very upset with Rumsfeld for not telling him about the abuse earlier.

Rumsfeld appeared before Senate and House committees just over a week after photographs surfaced showing hooded and naked Iraqi prisoners from Abu Ghraib prison in sometimes sexual and compromising positions. In many pictures, U.S. soldiers stand nearby grinning and mugging for the camera.

His testimony at one point was interrupted by shouting protesters. They were removed from the proceedings.

Earlier in the week, Rumsfeld said he learned of the abuses in January. On Friday, he apologized for not letting Bush and members of Congress know about the abuse sooner.

"I failed to recognize how important it was to elevate a matter of such gravity to the highest levels, including the President and the members of Congress."

Sen. Robert Byrd (D., West Virginia) wasn't impressed by the mea culpa, saying: "I see arrogance and a disdain for Congress."

Rumsfeld announced a special commission to investigate current probes of the abuses.
 
As well, he is looking into ways to compensate Iraqi detainees who "suffered such grievous abuses and cruelty" at the hands of U.S. forces. "It's the right thing to do," he said.

"I feel terrible about what happened to these Iraqi detainees. They are human beings. They were in U.S. custody. Our country had an obligation to treat them right. We didn't, and that was wrong.

"So those Iraqis who were mistreated by members of the U.S. Armed Forces, I offer my deepest apology."

Bush apologized Thursday with Jordan's King Abdullah at his side. However, he didn't apologize in earlier statements, including two interviews done with Arab TV stations.

Meanwhile, he International Red Cross said it had warned U.S. officials of abuse of prisoners in Iraq more than a year ago.

"Our findings were discussed at different moments between March and November 2003, either in direct face-to-face conversations or in written interventions," said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Photographs showing Iraqi prisoners being humiliated and abused at Abu Ghraib first surfaced publicly in an April 28 broadcast of CBS' 60 Minutes II show. Since then, more and more images of prisoners have surfaced.

Six soldiers have been criminally charged in the case and six others have been reprimanded, of which two have been relieved of duty.

With a report from CTV's Alan Fryer