4 February 2003" General Franks has my full trust, respect and confidence " Donald RumsfeldUS Defence Secretary
US defence officials speaking on condition of anonymity have confirmed a report in the Washington Post that the investigation relates to possible abuses of office involving the role of General Franks' wife.
The general said in a statement he was co-operating and he received a ringing endorsement from Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who described him as a "man of the highest integrity".
"General Franks is an enormously talented commander; a leader who has been, and remains, doggedly fixed on our objectives," Mr Rumsfeld, who is currently drafting military plans with the general, said.
"Investigations such as this are not unusual and properly are required whenever the office of the inspector general is made aware of an allegation...
"I want to emphasise that General Franks has my full trust, respect and confidence."
But the BBC's Pentagon correspondent, Nick Childs, says that the episode looks, at the very least, like a major embarrassment for both General Franks and the Pentagon.
'Co-operating'
According to the Washington Post, the general: - allowed his wife Cathy to sit in on classified briefings - assigned her a bodyguard - assigned her a female soldier to perform personal errands - failed to reimburse the government properly for her travel on military aircraft.
General Franks has been head of US Central Command, which has its headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, since June 2000.
He is responsible for US military activity in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
"I am aware of the investigation and am co-operating with it," he said in his statement.
"It would not be appropriate to comment on the investigation until it is complete."
A defence official quoted by Reuters news agency said investigations such as that into General Franks usually took about eight months.
According to the Washington Post the inquiry began last summer.
