While the media reports are all headed Rumsfeld (finally) says sorry, the most extraordinary fact is buried in the text:

According to Reuters, Rumsfeld said that he had seen new photographs and a videotape not yet made public that were "hard to believe".

"He said he had seen more horrific images on Thursday evening that he hoped would never be leaked to the media because they would do much more damage to the United States. "

The worst of this prisoner abuse scandal is yet to come, I'm afraid. Sadly, it highlights the depravity of Western culture and the widespread hypocrisy of passing sweeping moral judgements on Islamic societies.

Rumsfeld said: "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."

It would be very interesting to know whether Rumsfeld had informed Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, who appear to be the real "highest levels" in this sick Bush administration.

Rumsfeld must resign, but Cheney, Rove and the idiotic Bush - who should know what it going on within his own cabinet, but never does - must also go.