FOX News Channel's Geraldo Rivera has apologised on-air for breaking the rules of "embedding", the practice where journalists travel with coalition armed forces.

Rivera said: "I'm sorry that it happened and I assure you that it was inadvertent. Nobody was hurt by what I said. No mission was compromised." He admitted that a review of his live report last week "showed that I did indeed break one of the rules related to embedment."

In the report that ultimately resulted in the Pentagon ordering him out of the country (after which Rivera "volunteered" to leave Iraq), Rivera drew a picture of Iraq in the sand, pinpointed the location of the 101st Airborne Division, and indicated where the division would be heading next. Giving details about future operations is against the embedding rules.