In a radio address yesterday, Bush said he was deeply troubled by the treatment of some military veterans in a Washington medical centre. He is forming a cross-party commission to oversee how they have been handled. Army secretary Francis Harvey and the medical centre's commander resigned over the allegations.

The move follows reports in the US media about the care of troops wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq at Washington's Walter Reed hospital.

The Washington Post said last week that some of the soldiers lived in buildings infested with rodents and cockroaches.

In his radio address Bush said the treatment of some wounded veterans is unacceptable.

"These servicemen and women deserve the thanks of our country, and they deserve the best care our nation can provide. That is why I was deeply troubled by recent reports of substandard conditions at Walter Reed army medical centre."

He added that most staff at the centre care deeply about the troops but some veterans have experienced problems with bureaucracy and living conditions.

"This is unacceptable to me, it is unacceptable to our country and it's not going to continue, " he said.

The Washington Post claimed in a series of articles that bureaucracy got in the way of those trying to help injured soldiers.