President George Bush last night finally apologised for the abuse and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners by US soldiers.

He said the scenes of mistreatment had made Americans "sick to our stomachs".

Bush told Jordan's King Abdullah II: "I was sorry for the humiliation suffered by the Iraqi prisoners and the humiliation suffered by their families.

"I told him I was as equally sorry that people seeing those pictures didn't understand the true nature and heart of America," Mr Bush said, standing outside the White House alongside King Abdullah.

With Mr Bush were Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vice-President Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice, the national security advisor.

Vowing that guilty parties would be brought to justice, Mr Bush said he wanted to ensure that there was not a wider problem in US-run military prisons that required attention.

"It's a stain on our country's honour and our country's reputation," said the President.

"I am sickened by what I saw and sickened that people got the wrong impression."

Mr Bush's statement went beyond his comment on Wednesday that the abuse of prisoners was "abhorrent" and "does not represent the America that I know". His lack of an apology then was striking.

Scenes of mistreatment have been broadcast around the world, drawing international condemnation and prompting outrage in the Middle East. Mr Bush said he discussed the pictures with Abdullah.

The President said he told the king: "Americans like me didn't appreciate what we saw, and it makes us sick to our stomachs.

"I also made it clear to His Majesty that the troops we have in Iraq who were there for security and peace and freedom are the finest of the fine."

For his part, the king said, "We're all horrified by the images" of torture and abuse.

He said he was confident that American investigations would find the guilty parties.

King Abdullah said the abuse by some soldiers "doesn't reflect the morals and values" of the US.

Describing a meeting he had on Wednesday with Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mr Bush said: "I told him I should have known about the pictures and the report" which was done by the Pentagon two months ago.

The President said he had assured the king that "people will be brought to justice in a way commensurate to how our system works."

Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday declared any abuse of Iraqi prisoners was totally unacceptable, saying: "We went to Iraq to stop that kind of thing, not to do it ourselves."

He cautioned Cabinet colleagues - who expressed their abhorrence at pictures of torture - that the investigation into British troops' involvement was still under way and should not be pre-judged.

But the premier told reporters: "The abuse of prisoners, the torture of prisoners, degrading treatment of people in the custody of coalition forces, these things are totally unacceptable.

"They are inexcusable, and there can be no possible justification for them."

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