Her face is now recognized everywhere as the smiling, thumbs-up-giving soldier in the numerous torture photographs leaked from the Abu Ghraib prison. He is forever known as the ring leader of the detainee abuse scandal, and is still in service for the United States military until the end of 2014. Lynndie England and Charles Graner both received time in military prison for their roles in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. England was sentenced to three years in military prison (she only served half her sentence), while Graner was sentenced to ten years (he served 6.5 years of his sentence).
England now lives in Fort Ashbury, West Virginia, where she lives in a trailer with her parents raising her son, whose father is Graner. She has been unsuccessful at finding a job due to her felony charge, and is now on antidepressants that the military pays for while she's still under her military contract. She is unable to own a gun or hunt, which was her passion before entering the military, also because of her felony charge.
Graner was released from prison in Kansas in August of 2004, and he is now married to Specialist Megan Ambuhl, another soldier convicted of crimes against the Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. He received the longest sentence out of all the soldiers convicted due to his heavy involvement and proven leadership in the abuse. He is currently on probation until the end of 2014, when his military contract also expires.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
The Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Treating of Detainees in December 2008
After General Antonio Taguba attempted to set the record straight about the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, The Senate Armed Services Committee debuted their own report in December 2008 that analyzed the scandal as well. In the report, their findings concluded that Donald Rumsfeld did indeed have a major role and bore an extreme amount of responsibility in the torture and treatment of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib, as well as other high ranking officials.
The report, issued by John McCain and Carl Levin, also stated that the methods of torture used were apart of the military training program Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE). This program is used to train American soldiers in case they are captured by an enemy that ignores the Geneva Conventions.
Because of the use of these tactics, it was concluded in the report that senior officials played a major role in the scandal, and their previous claims of innocence were now disregarded in light of the new information. Donald Rumsfeld and his team were now brought to light for their hand in the deplorable actions that took place in the Abu Ghraib prison.
The report, issued by John McCain and Carl Levin, also stated that the methods of torture used were apart of the military training program Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE). This program is used to train American soldiers in case they are captured by an enemy that ignores the Geneva Conventions.
Because of the use of these tactics, it was concluded in the report that senior officials played a major role in the scandal, and their previous claims of innocence were now disregarded in light of the new information. Donald Rumsfeld and his team were now brought to light for their hand in the deplorable actions that took place in the Abu Ghraib prison.
Antonio Taguba and his report, May 2004
General Antonio Taguba was the presiding official over investigations of the Abu Ghraib abuse. Because of his position and rank, he was required to draft a report based on his findings and investigating, which was then to be sent through the chain of command all the way to the President. He also had to present the report to the Supreme Court.
In his report, he condemned senior officials for being responsible for the abuse. As mentioned earlier, the M.P.s that executed the abuse at Abu Ghraib did not act on their own accord-they had to have received advice and intelligence from a higher ranking official. Taguba knew this, and accused General Miller and Donald Rumsfeld for supporting and encouraging the controversial actions that took place in the prison.
Through photographs and videos investigated by Taguba, evidence of sodomizing prisoners as a means of torture were discovered. Medical reports, which were later watered down by those who wished to stay out of the light, stated anal fissures and severe bruising on some of the prisoners. There were photos of American soldiers in uniform raping female detainees, and also detainees that were forced to expose themselves. Male prisoners were forced to strip down naked in front of female soldiers, who then pointed and laughed at their genitalia while the men were forced to endure the humiliation.
Taguba concluded that these M.P.s did not act alone, but were ordered and compelled by senior officers to act in such a manner. The torturous methods, approved by Donald Rumsfeld, were taught and enforced by General Miller during his time in Iraq.
When this report came to light, Taguba was abandoned by his colleagues and forced to stand alone. Eventually, he was driven to retire in light of the controversy after Rumsfeld and Miller claimed innocence and naivety to the situation. Even though Taguba submitted the photos and report to Rumsfeld before it became a public matter, Rumsfeld claimed he only received wind of the situation right before it became public. Abusing his power, Rumsfeld used his rank and position of great importance to cloud his guilt and portray himself in an innocent light, despite his signature on the memo that ordered the excruciating torture methods.
In his report, he condemned senior officials for being responsible for the abuse. As mentioned earlier, the M.P.s that executed the abuse at Abu Ghraib did not act on their own accord-they had to have received advice and intelligence from a higher ranking official. Taguba knew this, and accused General Miller and Donald Rumsfeld for supporting and encouraging the controversial actions that took place in the prison.
Through photographs and videos investigated by Taguba, evidence of sodomizing prisoners as a means of torture were discovered. Medical reports, which were later watered down by those who wished to stay out of the light, stated anal fissures and severe bruising on some of the prisoners. There were photos of American soldiers in uniform raping female detainees, and also detainees that were forced to expose themselves. Male prisoners were forced to strip down naked in front of female soldiers, who then pointed and laughed at their genitalia while the men were forced to endure the humiliation.
Taguba concluded that these M.P.s did not act alone, but were ordered and compelled by senior officers to act in such a manner. The torturous methods, approved by Donald Rumsfeld, were taught and enforced by General Miller during his time in Iraq.
When this report came to light, Taguba was abandoned by his colleagues and forced to stand alone. Eventually, he was driven to retire in light of the controversy after Rumsfeld and Miller claimed innocence and naivety to the situation. Even though Taguba submitted the photos and report to Rumsfeld before it became a public matter, Rumsfeld claimed he only received wind of the situation right before it became public. Abusing his power, Rumsfeld used his rank and position of great importance to cloud his guilt and portray himself in an innocent light, despite his signature on the memo that ordered the excruciating torture methods.
How did the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal become known and what was the immediate result?
The photographs perviously mentioned would eventually backfire an all the M.P.s involved in the abuse. Specialist Darby was trying to collect memorabilia from historic sites to bring back home when he discovered a disc of photos from Grainer that contained all evidence of the abuse. He immediately reported it to the CID, which immediately launched an investigation of the Abu Ghraib prison and the tactics of intelligence extraction used there.
What happened next could only be described as explosive. The photographs were leaked to the American news media, and suddenly the photographs were plastered on every news broadcast and web site. Everywhere someone looked, the images of American military torture were facing them. This instantly spread overseas and was broadcasted internationally for the entire world to see-including Iraqi civilians. Protests broke out all over the country over the torture their citizens were suffering in Abu Ghraib. These citizens, most of which were innocent and held without charge, were not apart of al-Qaeda, and were therefore protected by the Geneva Conventions as international law abiding citizens under the protection of Iraq. They were not proven to be acting as unlawful militants, and should not have been left at the mercy of the United States' disregard of international laws.
One of the strangest synonyms given to the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal was that the night shift acted in an "Animal House" behavior, suggesting that the M.P.s were acting on their own accord in such a detrimental manner, instead of executing orders received from a higher ranked official. However, many experts proved that the tactics used in evidence of the photographs were legitimate military extraction techniques that could not have been improvised by the uneducated soldiers. One photograph in particular depicted a detainee, standing on a box with his arms outstretched and a hood over his head, was a tactic used in Vietnam and invented by the Brazilian military. The fact that no novice soldiers could come up with these methods on their own proved that someone of a higher rank was providing the M.P.s with strategies and techniques for maximum effect. Karpinski was the only high ranking official to receive punishment for this condemnation, even though the excruciating abuse happened after the M.P.s left her authority and began receiving orders from Military Intelligence.
The entire situation of Abu Ghraib prison and the abuse that was suffered there has forever tainted the reputation of the United States, and unraveled the history of humanity the country had cultivated since its inception in the 1700s. Everything the country had ever stood for, worked for, and achieved, was now obliterated in the face of this scandal.
What happened next could only be described as explosive. The photographs were leaked to the American news media, and suddenly the photographs were plastered on every news broadcast and web site. Everywhere someone looked, the images of American military torture were facing them. This instantly spread overseas and was broadcasted internationally for the entire world to see-including Iraqi civilians. Protests broke out all over the country over the torture their citizens were suffering in Abu Ghraib. These citizens, most of which were innocent and held without charge, were not apart of al-Qaeda, and were therefore protected by the Geneva Conventions as international law abiding citizens under the protection of Iraq. They were not proven to be acting as unlawful militants, and should not have been left at the mercy of the United States' disregard of international laws.
One of the strangest synonyms given to the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal was that the night shift acted in an "Animal House" behavior, suggesting that the M.P.s were acting on their own accord in such a detrimental manner, instead of executing orders received from a higher ranked official. However, many experts proved that the tactics used in evidence of the photographs were legitimate military extraction techniques that could not have been improvised by the uneducated soldiers. One photograph in particular depicted a detainee, standing on a box with his arms outstretched and a hood over his head, was a tactic used in Vietnam and invented by the Brazilian military. The fact that no novice soldiers could come up with these methods on their own proved that someone of a higher rank was providing the M.P.s with strategies and techniques for maximum effect. Karpinski was the only high ranking official to receive punishment for this condemnation, even though the excruciating abuse happened after the M.P.s left her authority and began receiving orders from Military Intelligence.
The entire situation of Abu Ghraib prison and the abuse that was suffered there has forever tainted the reputation of the United States, and unraveled the history of humanity the country had cultivated since its inception in the 1700s. Everything the country had ever stood for, worked for, and achieved, was now obliterated in the face of this scandal.
What happened at Abu Ghraib?
I've talked about the soldier named Grainer in a previous post, and about how he began to express remorse at the abuse of power and the ethical questions he had regarding the actions taken against the detainees. This instance of humanity was only short lived. He became drunk on power as he was given more and more, and eventually became the most enthused torturer at Abu Ghraib.
His methods of torture were nothing short of disgusting. Detainees were stripped naked with women's underwear or their own forced onto their heads while their feet and hands were handcuffed to random bars of steel throughout the hard sites. Photographs were taken of M.P.s posing next the the nude and tortured prisoners, providing evidence for a scandal that was soon to come.
The prison riot of 2003 only made matters worse. Now the M.P.s were angered and upset about being attacked by their detainees. Not wanting to be seen as weak, the torture increased significantly. Now, bodily harm was being done in addition to humiliating tactics. Some prisoners were accused of raping another inmate, resulting in Grainer forcing them to crawl on the floor to ensure that their genitals would be scraped on the concrete. Soldiers began throwing NERF footballs at them, bruising their bodies. There is photographic evidence of soldiers stacking prisoners into a pyramid, naked, ensuring that their genitals and buttocks were touching each other in a humiliating fashion. Some soldiers posed smiling in these pictures, showing pride in the disregard of humanity they were taking part in. Prisoners were dying from the torture and interrogation methods, but many went undocumented. One prisoner death in particular was proven to be a homicide, but nothing came of it. Instead, soldiers in the photographs were punished for establishing evidence that the detainees were being tortured to death.
The most controversial component of this entire affair is the fact that there was minimal sufficient intelligence to condemn the majority of the hard site detainees. Most of the prisoners had no hard evidence keeping them in Abu Ghraib, but instead were being held on speculation and paranoia. Innocent Iraqis were being tortured to the point of trauma and death...for no official reason whatsoever.
His methods of torture were nothing short of disgusting. Detainees were stripped naked with women's underwear or their own forced onto their heads while their feet and hands were handcuffed to random bars of steel throughout the hard sites. Photographs were taken of M.P.s posing next the the nude and tortured prisoners, providing evidence for a scandal that was soon to come.
The prison riot of 2003 only made matters worse. Now the M.P.s were angered and upset about being attacked by their detainees. Not wanting to be seen as weak, the torture increased significantly. Now, bodily harm was being done in addition to humiliating tactics. Some prisoners were accused of raping another inmate, resulting in Grainer forcing them to crawl on the floor to ensure that their genitals would be scraped on the concrete. Soldiers began throwing NERF footballs at them, bruising their bodies. There is photographic evidence of soldiers stacking prisoners into a pyramid, naked, ensuring that their genitals and buttocks were touching each other in a humiliating fashion. Some soldiers posed smiling in these pictures, showing pride in the disregard of humanity they were taking part in. Prisoners were dying from the torture and interrogation methods, but many went undocumented. One prisoner death in particular was proven to be a homicide, but nothing came of it. Instead, soldiers in the photographs were punished for establishing evidence that the detainees were being tortured to death.
The most controversial component of this entire affair is the fact that there was minimal sufficient intelligence to condemn the majority of the hard site detainees. Most of the prisoners had no hard evidence keeping them in Abu Ghraib, but instead were being held on speculation and paranoia. Innocent Iraqis were being tortured to the point of trauma and death...for no official reason whatsoever.
Military Police Moved from Incarceration Staff and Placed Under Military Intelligence
After General Geoffrey Miller's stint at Abu Ghraib prison, the Military Personnel that were working under Janet Karpinski's orders were moved, and subsequently placed under the orders of Military Intelligence. With this move, the soldiers were now required to working closely with the interrogations and the set up instead of merely guarding the prisoners.
This move also required the M.P.s to actually take part in the torture of detainees leading up to their interrogations. Some had to watch the detainees shower and laugh at them during, in order to humiliate the prisoners into a psychological breakdown. Others were meant to keep the prisoners from sleeping prior to interrogations, mentally weakening them in order for them to break more easily.
One soldier in particular, Lieutenant Grainer, was specifically assigned to the night shift because of his previous experiences. He yelled at the detainees, keeping them up all night, and eventually began to question the ethics concerning the methods used.
The move from Karpinski to Military Intelligence didn't just affect the methods of extractions concerning the prisoners. The M.P.s at Abu Ghraib were beginning to suffer from self-torment and ethical fallouts in regards to their behavior towards the mostly innocent prisoners.
This move also required the M.P.s to actually take part in the torture of detainees leading up to their interrogations. Some had to watch the detainees shower and laugh at them during, in order to humiliate the prisoners into a psychological breakdown. Others were meant to keep the prisoners from sleeping prior to interrogations, mentally weakening them in order for them to break more easily.
One soldier in particular, Lieutenant Grainer, was specifically assigned to the night shift because of his previous experiences. He yelled at the detainees, keeping them up all night, and eventually began to question the ethics concerning the methods used.
The move from Karpinski to Military Intelligence didn't just affect the methods of extractions concerning the prisoners. The M.P.s at Abu Ghraib were beginning to suffer from self-torment and ethical fallouts in regards to their behavior towards the mostly innocent prisoners.
Major General Geoffrey Miller, Donald Rumsfeld, Ricardo Sanchez, and Interrogation Techniques
Geoffrey Miller, a favored member of the military by Donald Rumsfeld, was stationed in Guantanamo Bay where high-priority detainees were kept. Miller was ruthless. He employed any means necessary, including extremely dangerous and deplorable torture techniques in order to extract information from the detainees. Some of the techniques reported after an FBI investigation included chaining detainees by the hands and feet in the fetal position without food or water for nearly a day.
Later, the Bush Administration and the White House would release a document, the Action Memo of November 27, 2002, revealing that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had supported and encouraged the use of these inhumane techniques by Geoffrey Miller. Approximately eight months after the signing and release of this document that approved the use of extreme torture methods, Geoffrey Miller was moved to Iraq, in order to help extract information from the detainees by any means necessary.
Geoffrey Miller's arrival in Iraq meant harsher extraction strategies were to be employed. He believed that the soldiers were being too kind to the prisoners, and trying to adhere to some shadow of the Geneva Conventions. Since it had already been decided that the Geneva Conventions didn't apply, Miller encouraged the M.P.s to be harsher with their punishments. The techniques used were in complete violation of the Geneva Conventions, as well as other international laws ann United Nations statutes.
After Miller's arrival, General Ricardo Sanchez of the 372nd Military Police Company issued a memo on September 14th, 2003, retracting some of the torture methods he had previously supported and stated were necessary at Abu Ghraib. This led to confusion amongst the M.P.s as to what was appropriate and what was against their orders to interrogate. Abu Ghraib had become an asylum of naked prisoners being tortured, interrogated, and tortured some more. Most prisoners were now naked the duration of their stay. The arrival of Miller resulted in more extreme methods of torture and harsher investigation, resulting in not only the physical degradation of the mostly innocent prisoners, but emotional humiliation and trauma as well.
Later, the Bush Administration and the White House would release a document, the Action Memo of November 27, 2002, revealing that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had supported and encouraged the use of these inhumane techniques by Geoffrey Miller. Approximately eight months after the signing and release of this document that approved the use of extreme torture methods, Geoffrey Miller was moved to Iraq, in order to help extract information from the detainees by any means necessary.
Geoffrey Miller's arrival in Iraq meant harsher extraction strategies were to be employed. He believed that the soldiers were being too kind to the prisoners, and trying to adhere to some shadow of the Geneva Conventions. Since it had already been decided that the Geneva Conventions didn't apply, Miller encouraged the M.P.s to be harsher with their punishments. The techniques used were in complete violation of the Geneva Conventions, as well as other international laws ann United Nations statutes.
After Miller's arrival, General Ricardo Sanchez of the 372nd Military Police Company issued a memo on September 14th, 2003, retracting some of the torture methods he had previously supported and stated were necessary at Abu Ghraib. This led to confusion amongst the M.P.s as to what was appropriate and what was against their orders to interrogate. Abu Ghraib had become an asylum of naked prisoners being tortured, interrogated, and tortured some more. Most prisoners were now naked the duration of their stay. The arrival of Miller resulted in more extreme methods of torture and harsher investigation, resulting in not only the physical degradation of the mostly innocent prisoners, but emotional humiliation and trauma as well.
The "Hard Site" and Failure of "Intelligence" at Abu Ghraib
The "hard site" at Abu Ghraib, as I mentioned in a previous post, was where high security prisoners were detained. It was comprised of Tier 1A and Tier 1B; 1B hosted the women and children related to the high security prisoners that were kept in Tier 1A. The women and children held in 1B were used as leverage to extract information from the captives housed in 1A.
In the hard sites, there was another imbalance of detainees and M.P.s. There were approximately six or seven M.P.s guarding at least one thousand high security prisoners in these hard sites. This was extremely dangerous, considering those six soldiers were as good as dead if the prisoners overran the hard sites.
The prisoners kept in the hard sites were considered highly dangerous and necessary informants. However, the M.P.s were unable to extract valuable information from these prisoners because the majority of them had none. The had been captured on speculation instead of tactics. This resulted, once again, from an unorganized military front to battle an unseen enemy. Innocent civilians were suffering in these prisons, having their families held against them in exchange for information about Iraq and al-Qaeda, with no idea why or how the came to be detained in this desolate prison.
In the hard sites, there was another imbalance of detainees and M.P.s. There were approximately six or seven M.P.s guarding at least one thousand high security prisoners in these hard sites. This was extremely dangerous, considering those six soldiers were as good as dead if the prisoners overran the hard sites.
The prisoners kept in the hard sites were considered highly dangerous and necessary informants. However, the M.P.s were unable to extract valuable information from these prisoners because the majority of them had none. The had been captured on speculation instead of tactics. This resulted, once again, from an unorganized military front to battle an unseen enemy. Innocent civilians were suffering in these prisons, having their families held against them in exchange for information about Iraq and al-Qaeda, with no idea why or how the came to be detained in this desolate prison.
Abu Ghraib: The Location, Atmosphere, and Situation at Abu Ghraib by September 2003
When the 372nd Military Police Company found the prison compound, it was an extremely depressing, sickening sight. Wild dogs scourged the area looking for food, and were digging up human bodies from the ground that were still there from the previous use of the prison. Photos and paintings of Saddam Hussein were plastered all over the prison, and the putrid smell of bodily fluids and excrement tainted the entire prison. The conditions were unbearable for even an investigation, let alone to eventually host thousands of detainees.
This particular Military Police Company had been trained for combatant operations, and not to become MPs. In fact, they had received no training whatsoever to prepare them for becoming Military Police. When they arrived at the prison, the soldiers were told their assignment and were offered no proper training for their positions. The troops were now stationed in the most dangerous area possible during the war. Abu Ghraib was the number one target and the most dangerous site for American troops to be located. Daily, the prison suffered multiple attacks. Even the road leading to and from the prison was one of the most dangerous on the planet, hosting the highest number of fatalities and war attacks than any other road.
By the end of September in 2003, the Abu Ghraib prison was now home to over six thousand detainees-nearly six times the amount of people captured only a month before. To control the magnitude of detainees, there was an unmatched 300 M.P.s stationed at Abu Ghraib. There were different sections of the prison that housed the prisoners based on their status. The general area hosted regular civilians that were captured on suspicion. The hard sites, such as Tier 1A and Tier 1B, hosted others. Tier 1B was inhabited by women and children, while Tier 1A was home to the criminally insane, highly suspected, and high priority detainees.
This particular Military Police Company had been trained for combatant operations, and not to become MPs. In fact, they had received no training whatsoever to prepare them for becoming Military Police. When they arrived at the prison, the soldiers were told their assignment and were offered no proper training for their positions. The troops were now stationed in the most dangerous area possible during the war. Abu Ghraib was the number one target and the most dangerous site for American troops to be located. Daily, the prison suffered multiple attacks. Even the road leading to and from the prison was one of the most dangerous on the planet, hosting the highest number of fatalities and war attacks than any other road.
By the end of September in 2003, the Abu Ghraib prison was now home to over six thousand detainees-nearly six times the amount of people captured only a month before. To control the magnitude of detainees, there was an unmatched 300 M.P.s stationed at Abu Ghraib. There were different sections of the prison that housed the prisoners based on their status. The general area hosted regular civilians that were captured on suspicion. The hard sites, such as Tier 1A and Tier 1B, hosted others. Tier 1B was inhabited by women and children, while Tier 1A was home to the criminally insane, highly suspected, and high priority detainees.
American Techniques of War and Iraqi Civilians
The techniques of war used by the United States during the summer of 2003 were nothing short of unorganized and unnecessary. In fact, they can't even be labeled as military techniques at all. There was no method of capture, no rules of engagement, and no regard for civilian welfare. Soldiers were told that if someone looked like the enemy, they should attack. This gave incentive to act on racial profiling and the attack of innocents.
Civilians suffered at the hands of the United States military. They were attacked, their homes were broken into, their families were treated poorly, and their valuables were ransacked and stolen right in front of them. Iraqi civilians were captured at the drop of the hat if they looked suspicious, regardless of their innocence.
In regards to civilian welfare, there was absolutely no technique employed by the United State military. Ironic, actually, considering their original intention of occupation was to bring down a dictator, establish a new government, and then exit the country. All in the name of protecting the civilians, who have now become the victims of their paranoia.
Civilians suffered at the hands of the United States military. They were attacked, their homes were broken into, their families were treated poorly, and their valuables were ransacked and stolen right in front of them. Iraqi civilians were captured at the drop of the hat if they looked suspicious, regardless of their innocence.
In regards to civilian welfare, there was absolutely no technique employed by the United State military. Ironic, actually, considering their original intention of occupation was to bring down a dictator, establish a new government, and then exit the country. All in the name of protecting the civilians, who have now become the victims of their paranoia.
The Justice Department and the UN Convention Against Torture
In regards to my last post about the Geneva Conventions, I concluded with the statement that realistically, al-Qaeda would have no obligations to follow the Geneva Conventions' statutes against torturing their detainees. Since they are unlawful combatants acting outside the rules of international politics, they were not protect by nor obliged to them. This somewhat justified the decision to ignore the Geneva Conventions on behalf of the United States. However, the United States still had one entity to answer to-The United Nations Convention Against Torture.
The United Nations Convention Against Torture was yet another set of statutes previously signed by the United States that addressed the torture and humiliation of detainees. However, the statutes were extremely vague in their vocabulary. John Yoo and the Justice Department, under the power of Albert Gonzales at the time, stated that the Convention was too vague to adhere to entirely. The Justice Department sent a memo to the White House outlining the definitions of torture that could be used against detainees, highlighting the loopholes of the Conventions.
Critics believed that the definitions of torture provided by Yoo and the Justice Department were so intense that they could rival the methods employed by Saddam Hussein. Others went further, claiming that it was outrageous and should never have even been considered.
The memo claimed that torture could include the loss of bodily function or even result in death. The lack of humanity supported by the United States government completely went against the historic reputation the United States had famously cultivated since the birth of our nation. Everything was beginning to unravel before American eyes.
The United Nations Convention Against Torture was yet another set of statutes previously signed by the United States that addressed the torture and humiliation of detainees. However, the statutes were extremely vague in their vocabulary. John Yoo and the Justice Department, under the power of Albert Gonzales at the time, stated that the Convention was too vague to adhere to entirely. The Justice Department sent a memo to the White House outlining the definitions of torture that could be used against detainees, highlighting the loopholes of the Conventions.
Critics believed that the definitions of torture provided by Yoo and the Justice Department were so intense that they could rival the methods employed by Saddam Hussein. Others went further, claiming that it was outrageous and should never have even been considered.
The memo claimed that torture could include the loss of bodily function or even result in death. The lack of humanity supported by the United States government completely went against the historic reputation the United States had famously cultivated since the birth of our nation. Everything was beginning to unravel before American eyes.
The Geneva Conventions and the War on Terror
The first mistake that the United States made in their approach to Abu Ghraib was, as I mentioned earlier, violating the Geneva Conventions in order to pass extraction and torture methods. The Geneva Conventions were signed into International Law in 1949, prohibiting the use of torture or humiliation against detainees of war. This also includes the protection of American troops if they were ever to be captured by the enemy.
John Yoo, an attorney representing The Justice Department, believed that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to al-Qaeda since the group was comprised of unlawful combatants who had never signed the Geneva Conventions. Since they were not in agreement of international law, they should not be treated with the respect of International Law.
However, this goes against the mindset America has previously employed in wars prior to the War on Terror. The United States is historically famous for having standards high above the set expectations of international laws, such as the Geneva Conventions, and the treatment of their detainees and enemies. This attitude dated all the way back to the American Revolution.
The decision of whether or not America should abide by the Geneva Conventions ultimately lied with the President of the United States, George W. Bush. In 2002, President Bush declared that the Geneva Conventions would not apply in this war, since the combatants were not protected by the international laws.
The possible effects of this decision could become disastrous. By declaring a state of war without the protection of crucial international law, Bush essentially condoned unlimited warfare and a state of international anarchy in Iraq. Without the protection of Geneva Conventions, American troops were in even greater danger of suffering at the hands of al-Qaeda and dangerous civilians. But the reality of the situation must be faced; If al-Qaeda entered the war disregarding international law, they weren't going to start now.
John Yoo, an attorney representing The Justice Department, believed that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to al-Qaeda since the group was comprised of unlawful combatants who had never signed the Geneva Conventions. Since they were not in agreement of international law, they should not be treated with the respect of International Law.
However, this goes against the mindset America has previously employed in wars prior to the War on Terror. The United States is historically famous for having standards high above the set expectations of international laws, such as the Geneva Conventions, and the treatment of their detainees and enemies. This attitude dated all the way back to the American Revolution.
The decision of whether or not America should abide by the Geneva Conventions ultimately lied with the President of the United States, George W. Bush. In 2002, President Bush declared that the Geneva Conventions would not apply in this war, since the combatants were not protected by the international laws.
The possible effects of this decision could become disastrous. By declaring a state of war without the protection of crucial international law, Bush essentially condoned unlimited warfare and a state of international anarchy in Iraq. Without the protection of Geneva Conventions, American troops were in even greater danger of suffering at the hands of al-Qaeda and dangerous civilians. But the reality of the situation must be faced; If al-Qaeda entered the war disregarding international law, they weren't going to start now.
The Context of the Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal
In 2003, the state of Iraq was absolute chaos. Civilians began rioting violently against the American occupation. The release of grenades, civilian snipers shooting American troops, and other uses of weaponry became a daily event in Iraq. Then, in August 2003 two back-to-back events defined the War on Terror and began to form the idea and vision we hold of the war today. The bombing of the Jordanian Embassy, and a few days later the United Nations building in Iraq, spurred the United States to retaliate with full force.
The first step was to find intelligence related to the incidents. Unfortunately, the United States military had no idea who they were targeting and what kind of weapons or strategies the perpetrators were going to use. This led to a scramble for intelligence in an extremely unorganized manner. The proposed location to hold detainees, Abu Ghraib, became overcrowded within a matter of days. Detainees, with approximately 85% of them having no relation to the intelligence needed whatsoever, who would eventually be tortured and scrutinized violently in order to extract said intelligence. Abu Ghraib was now an experimental location for new torture techniques that would be executed in Guantanamo Bay. Retired Army Colonel Stuart Herrington, a man who had a key role in the Phoenix Program during the Vietnam War, was horrified by the conditions he saw when he first investigated the prison. He immediately called for a revolution in the way the military was extracting information. However, the warning went unnoticed, and the military continued with their extraction methods.
There were 29 methods of torture used by General Sanchez and his troops by order of Donald Rumsfeld. Most of these went against the Geneva Conventions, a fact that did not escape the observations of Colonel Herrington. The passing of this approval went under the nose of President George W. Bush.
Here's my question: If one of the key players in the Phoenix Program from the Vietnam War is telling you that you're being cruel, how do you not wake up to the reality of your actions?
Unfortunately for the American occupation and troops, the consequences of their actions would come to light soon enough.
The first step was to find intelligence related to the incidents. Unfortunately, the United States military had no idea who they were targeting and what kind of weapons or strategies the perpetrators were going to use. This led to a scramble for intelligence in an extremely unorganized manner. The proposed location to hold detainees, Abu Ghraib, became overcrowded within a matter of days. Detainees, with approximately 85% of them having no relation to the intelligence needed whatsoever, who would eventually be tortured and scrutinized violently in order to extract said intelligence. Abu Ghraib was now an experimental location for new torture techniques that would be executed in Guantanamo Bay. Retired Army Colonel Stuart Herrington, a man who had a key role in the Phoenix Program during the Vietnam War, was horrified by the conditions he saw when he first investigated the prison. He immediately called for a revolution in the way the military was extracting information. However, the warning went unnoticed, and the military continued with their extraction methods.
There were 29 methods of torture used by General Sanchez and his troops by order of Donald Rumsfeld. Most of these went against the Geneva Conventions, a fact that did not escape the observations of Colonel Herrington. The passing of this approval went under the nose of President George W. Bush.
Here's my question: If one of the key players in the Phoenix Program from the Vietnam War is telling you that you're being cruel, how do you not wake up to the reality of your actions?
Unfortunately for the American occupation and troops, the consequences of their actions would come to light soon enough.
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