New York: US Army officials in Iraq tried to curtail Red Cross' spot inspection of the Abu Ghraib prison after the international agency reported abuse of prisoners there last year, according to a senior Army officer.

After the International Committee of the Red Cross observed abuses in one cellblock on two unannounced inspections in October and complained in writing on November 6, the military responded that inspectors should make appointments before visiting the cellblock. That area was the site of the worst abuses, the 'New York Times' reported.

The Red Cross report in November was the earliest formal evidence known to have been presented to the military's headquarters in Baghdad before January, when photographs of the abuses came to the attention of criminal investigators and prompted a broad investigation.

But the senior Army officer told the 'Times' that the military did not start any criminal investigation before it replied to the Red Cross on December 24.

The Red Cross report was made after its inspectors witnessed or heard about such practices as holding Iraqi prisoners naked in dark concrete cells for several days at a time and forcing them to wear women's underwear on their heads while being paraded and photographed.

Until now, the paper said, the Army had described its response on December 24 as evidence that the military was prompt in addressing Red Cross complaints, but it has declined to release the contents of the Army document, citing the tradition of confidentiality in dealing with the international agency.