She and other children were put in a restraint chair for three hours, she said.

Explaining the use of the restraint chairs, he added, "The way around that is you have to make sure that purging doesn't happen."

Thought initially denied, the military acknowledged use of "restraint chairs" for feeding hunger-striking prisoners in 2006 to prevent them from vomiting up forced nutrition.

But by early February 2006, shortly after the military began using restraint chairs during the forced feedings, the number of hunger strikers plunged to three.

For the first time, as many as 15 detainees continued with the strikes despite being force-fed in the restraint chairs.

The restraint chair was used on all of those who refused to eat, military officials said, regardless of their medical condition.

On Dec. 5, the guard force ordered five "restraint chairs" from a small manufacturer in Iowa.

H e said in a statement that "a restraint system to aid detainee feeding" was being used but refused to answer questions about the restraint chairs.

Lawyers who have visited clients in recent weeks criticized the latest measures, particularly the use of the restraint chair, as abusive.

Post was placed in a restraint chair by guards and his neck was broken in the process.