The U.S. Army has cleared four top officers, including a former top U.S. commander in Iraq, of any wrongdoing in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

Defense officials say the Army's inspector general ultimately decided there was no basis for bringing charges against Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and two generals and a colonel under his command.

The officials said that another military official, Army Reserve Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, has been relieved of her command and given a written reprimand. She oversaw the military police at the center of the prison scandal.

The findings are to be released in an upcoming report.

The Abu Ghraib prison scandal sparked outrage and condemnation in the United States and around the world after pictures emerged of American soldiers physically abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners.