Washington, June 17 (Reuters): US President George W. Bush voiced support for defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld today after the Pentagon said Rumsfeld ordered the detention of a terrorist suspect in Iraq who was held for more than seven months without notifying the Red Cross.

“I’m never disappointed in my secretary of defence. He’s doing a fabulous job and America’s lucky to have him in the position he’s in,” Bush said at the White House when asked if he was disappointed with Rumsfeld’s move. “The secretary and I discussed that for the first time this morning,” added Bush, sitting next to Rumsfeld.

He noted that the secretary had called a news conference and would address the issue.

Bush has stood firmly by Rumsfeld amid continuing calls for his resignation from some Democrats in Congress and other critics, who say the US invasion of Iraq was not justified and that the Pentagon was ill-prepared to deal with the violence that has continued in that country.

Earlier today, the Pentagon confirmed that Rumsfeld ordered military officials to hold a suspected member of the Ansar al-Islam guerrilla group last November at the request of CIA director George Tenet without telling the Red Cross.

Washington has linked Ansar al-Islam to al Qaida and blames the group for some attacks in Iraq.