The US Army on Friday replaced the chief investigator probing the role of military intelligence in the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Major General George Fay was replaced by Lieutenant General Anthony R. Jones, deputy commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

The replacement was made to resolve a protocol problem in the investigation, not because of Fay's performance, officials said.

As part of the investigation, which started on March 31, investigators would interview Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the top US commander in Iraq who wears three stars.

The Army wanted a lead investigator wearing at least three stars as Sanchez does, but as a major general, Fay wears two stars. Fay will remain part of the investigating team, which has focused its investigation on the role of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade in the reported abuses of prisoners at Abu Ghraib last year, and is expected to complete its work in July.

Six military police soldiers face charges in the abuse scandal, with one other having pleaded guilty and been sentenced to one year in prison, but no military intelligence personnel have been charged so far.

In another development, the Senate has confirmed the Army's vice chief of staff General George Casey as commander of US and coalition forces in Iraq, replacing Sanchez.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2004)