Turning a blind eye to abuses of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo at the hands of its own forces, the United States annual report on human rights rebuked its Mideast allies for their poor records in the field.

The criticism was contained in the State Department's report on human rights progress in 2004, the first issued since US President George W. Bush was reelected for a second term in office, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Iran and Syria took the heaviest lashing in the region, with the report -- released Monday, February 28 -- saying Tehran's rights performance had worsened, citing "continuing violations such as summary executions, disappearances and torture".

Damascus was also accused of clamping down on dissents, "resorting to arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial, torture and a pattern of discrimination against women and a stateless Kurdish minority".

The annual report also reserved some tough language for ally Saudi Arabia.

"The record of human rights abuses and violations ... still far exceeds the advances," it said of Riyadh.

"There were credible reports of torture and abuse of prisoners by security forces, arbitrary arrests, and incommunicado detentions. The religious police continued to intimidate, abuse, and detain citizens and foreigners."

It said most trials were closed, reformers were detained, Saudi women and minorities discriminated against and "the government continued to restrict freedoms of speech and press, assembly, association and movement."

Mild Criticism

But the report mildly chided Israel over its "dealings" with the Palestinians.

It also said that Tel Aviv had done little to curb discrimination against the country's Arab citizens.

It said the government had detained thousands of people without charge on security grounds and recounted without judgment the dispute over Israel's move to erect its separation wall on Palestinian soil.

On the other hand, the report described the Palestinian Authority's overall rights record as "poor," marked by reports of torture, prisoner abuse, and arbitrary and prolonged detention.

No Abu Gharib

The report, however, made no mention whatsoever to the shocking abuses of Iraqi prisoners by US occupation forces, blaming most of Iraqs problems on the "insurgents."

It said "serious problems" remained but added Baghdad's efforts were "handicapped by a serious insurgency in which a terrorist campaign of violence impacted every aspect of life."

The report further said the US-backed government in Iraq had generally respected human rights. Experts and human rights observers have repeatedly played down the annual human rights reports by the Bush administration, saying these reports are selective and used for political reasons. The abuse of Iraqi prisoners exploded onto the world stage on April 29 after the CBS news network published several graphic photos of Iraqi detainees tortured and sexually abused by American soldiers at the Baghdad-based prison.

Since then the scandal has been deepening, exposing more elements and factors about interrogation techniques approved by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who has been under domestic and international pressure to step down. In June, Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report entitled "The Road To Abu Ghraib" linking the abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo to the policies adopted by US President George W. Bush in his so-called war on terror. In December, the US rights watchdog accused the US administration of covering up killings and abuses of Afghan prisoners in US detention camps in Afghanistan.

Other Allies

Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Kuwait and Qatar, which are all crucial allies to the US-led war on Iraq and the global war against terror, were not spared. It took aim at Egypt at a time when tensions between the two countries were starting to boil over Washingtons interference in the detention of opposition leader Ayman Nour, under trial for criminal charges.

"The government respected human rights in some areas; however, its record was poor, and in many areas serious problems remained," the report said.

The report said Egyptians "did not have the meaningful ability to change their government."

It further identified corruption as a significant problem, criticized the use of emergency law to try non-security cases, and said security forces "committed numerous, serious human rights abuses."

The report was drafted before Egypts Hosni Mubarak sought direct, multi-party presidential elections, a move seen by pundits as a result of intense US pressures and by Egyptian oppositionists as a "cosmetic change."

On Jordan, the report said the government respected human rights in some areas but "its overall record continued to reflect many problems."

It cited "police abuse and mistreatment of detainees, allegations of torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of transparent investigations and of accountability within the security services."

The report called Kuwait's human rights record "poor" with reported abuses of prisoners, and said Qatar restricted speech and press freedoms.

Despite Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi's effort to turn a new leaf with the United States and Europe, the report accused Tripoli of "numerous, serious abuses."

It also said the rights scorecard in Yemen was still "poor."