WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday the investigation into abuses at Abu Ghraib prison is diverting attention from the war.
"That is not to say it shouldn't. It's too bad, but that's life," Rumsfeld said at the Capitol Thursday after meeting with senators about the unfolding scandal.
"An awful lot of us are spending an enormous amount of time on this subject. And we've got the transition coming ahead of us here to sovereignty for the Iraqi people on or before June 30, and there's a great deal of work to be done. On the other hand, this was a situation that needed to be addressed," Rumsfeld said.
There have been three Senate hearings on the abuses so far and more will come, according to Capitol Hill sources.
Three top generals running the war in Iraq and Afghanistan testified for four hours Wednesday, an appearance that Republican critics of the hearings charged pulled them from their important duties overseas. The Pentagon said the generals were in Washington.
One soldier has pleaded guilty in a court-martial and six more soldiers face criminal proceedings.
