New Delhi: US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage today (July 14, 2004) said he was "horrified" at the incident of strip-searching done on George Fernandes during an official visit to US as Defence Minister and apologised to him.

"On the way in the car here I had the opportunity to telephone my old friend George Fernandes and told him I had heard about the problem he had. I was horrified about it and I personally apologised to him," he told reporters after he met leader of the opposition L K Advani at New Delhi.

Former Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott in his just published book said Fernandes was strip-searched twice at Duless airport when he was Defence Minister, once on an official visit to Washington in early 2002 and another time while enroute to Brazil in mid 2003.

US Embassy here said, Fernandes was not strip-searched but a security wand was waved over him when a key in his pocket set off the metal detector at a US airport last year (2002-2003).

"From the information available to us, the minister was not strip-searched but did have a security wand waved over him when a key in his pocket set off the metal detector," the Embasssy spokesman said. "Fernandes played an important role in the burgeoning US-India relationship and we consider him the cherished friend of the US," he said.

Fernandes, who had confirmed reports that he was searched, has said he will never visit the US again. The spokesman said as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, existing procedures governing the entry of foreign visitors were thoroughly re-evaluated and overtime time revised procedures implemented.

"We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused during the implementation process. There is in place an established procedure whereby Heads of State, Government ministers and other foreign dignitaries are accorded special diplomatic procedures upon entry to the US provided they furnish appropriate advance notice of their travel," he said.

"We are sorry that these procedures were not observed in the case of the Defence Minister's 2003 transit to the US, and regret any inconvenience caused," he added.