CROSSFIRE; -Critics line up to slam Cabinet -No minister saw abuse file -Hoon excuse denied by Straw -Ingram set for MPs grilling.

Byline: OONAGH BLACKMAN Deputy Political editor

TONY Blair came under fire from all sides last night as the crisis over Iraqi prisoner abuse deepened.

Downing Street officials yesterday confirmed not a single minister had read February's Red Cross report on allegations of PoW torture and mistreatment by British troops.

They claimed the paper was confidential and blamed Red Cross "secrecy" for keeping them in the dark over its contents.

But both Labour and opposition MPs ripped into the Government over its failure to tell the public about the abuse scandal before it was exposed in the Daily Mirror.

In the Commons, Tory Michael Ancram asked Foreign Secretary Jack Straw: "Are you seriously suggesting Foreign Office ministers were kept in the dark about this important report for two months?"

Lib Dem Sir Menzies Campbell said the Government was in "disarray" over the claims.

Labour backbenchers described the handling of the scandal a "public relations catastrophe".

Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram will be dragged back to the Commons tomorrow to explain why he denied the Government had received the Red Cross report. Jack Straw yesterday added to the confusion by contradicting Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's claim on Monday that Iraq envoy Sir Jeremy Greenstock had seen the paper.

Mr Ancram said: "Over the last 24 hours there has been a glaring inconsistency in statements made by two senior Cabinet ministers on a matter of great importance."

Downing Street also admitted Mr Blair was in the dark about claims in the report of abuse on Iraqi prisoners by US troops until they were exposed by the media.

A spokesman said: "Ministers did not know about the Red Cross report.

"Clearly there are lessons to be learned." The paper was passed by one of Sir Jeremy's staff to a military official then sent to the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, Middlesex.

Officials there decided that, as all the issues relating to British forces had already been dealt with or were being looked at, the report did not need to be referred to ministers.

Mr Straw said: "It would have been better had I seen it."

The Prime Minister's spokesman added: "The ICRC report was in confidence. We have to act within the strict rules of the Red Cross.

"Clearly there will have to be a discussion as to whether Red Cross reports can be brought to the attention of ministers in the future." But the Red Cross said it was "fine" for them to see it.

A spokesman added: "We have repeatedly made our concerns known to the Coalition Forces and requested corrective measures prior to the submission of this report."

MPs are furious the paper, which referred to abuses by Coalition Forces not just ill-treatment by US troops, was not passed to ministers.

Amnesty International said it sent memos about abuse to the Ministry of Defence last year.

Mr Ingram denied getting reports from "external organisations".

But Amnesty revealed he wrote a letter to them, dated November 11, in response to the paper.

US Army Major General Antonio Taguba, who investigated the abuse of prisoners in Iraq, yesterday blamed the scandal on "a failure of leadership, lack of discipline, no training and no supervision".

He said torture and humiliation at the Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad was the fault of officers on the ground.

PRESIDENT Bush's popularity in the US slipped to its lowest ever amid the Iraq abuse scandal. Just 46 per cent of those quizzed in a poll think the president is doing a good job. And 58 per cent said his handling of the Iraq war was poor.

CAPTION(S):

CRISIS: Geoff Hoon; FURY: Ingram, left, and Ancram