WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The US military said Tuesday that it won't formally probe into the allegations by two former Iraqi detainees that they were once thrust by US soldiers into a cage of lions in Baghdad.

    US Army Spokesman Paul Boyce said there will be no formal investigation, adding that he has never heard of lions being used in any detainee operations.

    He said that no mention of lions has ever come up in any of over 400 investigations into detainee abuse conducted by the military over the past three years.

    US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the allegations seem "quite farfetched," and documents have been found that "train people, terrorists, to lie about their treatment, and they do it consistently and it works."

    The two former detainees, Thahe Mohammed Sabbar, 37, and Sherzad Kamal Khalid, 35, are in the United States this week to talk about the lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union andHuman Rights First filed on their behalf against Rumsfeld and other military officials.

    The two described a day in July 2003, when they were arrested by US troops with guns and armored vehicles.

    They said they were covered with plastic hoods and repeatedly struck by soldiers using the butt of their guns.

    They both described standing in front of a lion cage, and said they could hear other prisoners screaming as the metal cage door creaked open and slammed shut.

    "They threatened that if I did not confess they would put me inthe cage," said Khalid, adding that US soldiers kept asking him where Saddam Hussein was.

    Failing to give an answer, he was then pushed into the cage three times, but were pulled out as the lions moved toward him.

    Sabbar said he was also pushed into the cage. "The lions came running toward me and they (US soldiers) pulled me out and shut the door. I completely lost consciousness."

    Both men said they suffer continuing physical and psychologicaltrauma, such as pain, ulcers, nightmares and insomnia.

    After the incident, Sabbar was held by US forces for six months,while Khalid was held for about two months. Enditem