Lucent Terrorism Library - The Iraqi Prison Abuse Scandal (Lucent Terrorism Library) PDF
Preview Lucent Terrorism Library - The Iraqi Prison Abuse Scandal (Lucent Terrorism Library)
The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal The Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal Titles in the Lucent Terrorism Library include: America Under Attack:Primary Sources America Under Attack:September 11,2001 Civil Liberties and the War on Terrorism The History ofTerrorism Terrorists and Terrorist Groups The War Against Iraq PDF Not Available Due to Copyright Terms PDF Not Available Due to Copyright Terms Contents FOREWORD 8 INTRODUCTION A Dark Day in America 10 CHAPTER ONE Iraq and the War on Terror 14 CHAPTER TWO Tales ofTorture 29 CHAPTER THREE A Scandal Breaks 41 CHAPTER FOUR Bad Apples—or Bad Policy? 57 CHAPTER FIVE The Legacy ofAbu Ghraib 74 Notes 89 For Further Reading 95 Works Consulted 97 Index 103 Picture Credits 111 About the Author 112 Foreword It was the bloodiest day in American deaths from seventy, eighty, ninety history since the battle ofAntietam floors up rather than endure the 1,000- during the Civil War—a day in which degree temperatures within the towers. everything about the nation would New Yorkers who had thought they change forever.People,when speaking were going to work were caught on film ofthe country,would henceforth spec- desperately racing the other way to es- ify “before September 11”or “after Sep- cape the wall of dust and debris that tember 11.”It was as if,on that Tuesday rolled down the streets oflower Man- morning, the borders had suddenly hattan. Photographs showed badly shifted to include Canada and Mexico, burned Pentagon secretaries and frus- or as if the official language of the trated rescue workers.Later pictures United States had changed.The differ- would show huge fire engines buried ence between “before”and “after”was under the rubble. that pronounced. It was not the first time America That Tuesday morning,September had been the target of terrorists.The 11,2001,was the day that Americans same World Trade Center had been tar- began to learn firsthand about terror- geted in 1993 by Islamic terrorists,but ism,as first one fuel-heavy commercial the results had been negligible. The airliner, and then a second, hit New worst of such acts on American soil York’s World Trade Towers—sending came in 1995 at the hands ofa home- them thundering to the ground in a grown terrorist whose hatred for the firestorm ofsmoke and ash.A third air- government led to the bombing ofthe liner was flown into a wall ofthe Pen- federal building in Oklahoma City.The tagon in Washington,D.C.,and a fourth blast killed 168 people—19 of them was apparently wrestled away from ter- children. rorists before it could be steered into But the September 11 attacks were another building.By the time the ex- far different.It was terror on a frighten- plosions and collapses had stopped and ingly well-planned,larger scale,carried the fires had been extinguished,more out by nineteen men from the Middle than three thousand Americans had East whose hatred ofthe United States died. drove them to the most appalling suicide Film clips and photographs showed mission the world had ever witnessed. the horror of that day.Trade Center As one U.S.intelligence officer told a workers could be seen leaping to their CNN reporter,“These guys turned air- 8 Foreword planes into weapons ofmass destruction,land- success of the September 11 attacks] will marks familiar to all ofus into mass graves.” think: why not do something else?” says Some observers say that September 11 Richard Murphy,former ambassador to Syria may always be remembered as the date that and Saudi Arabia.“This is the beginning of the people ofthe United States finally came their war.There is a mentality at work here face to face with terrorism.“You’ve been rela- that the West is not prepared to understand.” tively sheltered from terrorism,”says an Israeli Because terrorism is abhorrent to the terrorism expert.“You hear about it happen- vast majority ofthe nations on the planet, ing here in the Middle East,in Northern Ire- President George W.Bush’s declaration of land, places far away from you. Now war against terrorism was supported by Americans have joined the real world where many other world leaders.He reminded cit- this ugliness is almost a daily occurrence.” izens that it would be a long war,and one not This “real world”presents a formidable easily won.However,as many agree,there is challenge to the United States and other na- no choice;ifterrorism is allowed to continue tions. It is a world in which there are no unchecked the world will never be safe. rules,where modern terrorism is war not The volumes of the Lucent Terrorism waged on soldiers,but on innocent people— Library help to explain the unexplainable including children.Terrorism is meant to events ofSeptember 11,2001,as well as ex- shatter people’s hope,to create instability amine the history,personalities,and issues in their daily lives,to make them feel vul- connected with the ensuing war on terror. nerable and frightened.People who con- Annotated bibliographies provide readers tinue to feel unsafe will demand that their with ideas for further research.Fully doc- leaders make concessions—do something— umented primary and secondary source so that terrorists will stop the attacks. quotations enliven the text.Each book in Many experts feel that terrorism against this series provides students with a wealth the United States is just beginning.“The ofinformation as well as launching points tragedy is that other groups,having seen [the for further study and discussion. 9 Introduction A Dark Day in America uring the first week ofMay 2004 will affect the United States over time. D horrific photographs of Ameri- But there was little doubt that what can soldiers abusing prisoners in had gone on inside a notorious prison Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison were re- just west of Baghdad had, at least leased to the public. The photos temporarily,seriously hurt America’s caused shock and outrage—both in- cause in the war on terrorism.That side the United States and around the was obvious a few weeks later in the world.Seeking an explanation,Con- pained faces ofmembers ofCongress gress called Donald Rumsfeld,the sec- as they emerged from a darkened retary ofdefense,to appear before the room in which they had just spent Senate Armed Services Committee. three hours viewing eighteen hundred “Let me begin by stating the obvious,” slides and several videos ofthe abuses said Senator Jack Reed speaking to at Abu Ghraib. During those three Rumsfeld at the witness table.“For the hours they studied images ofsoldiers next 50 years, in the Islamic world sexually assaulting Iraqi prisoners. and many other parts of the world, Other photos showed American sol- the image ofthe United States will be diers terrifying naked prisoners with that ofan American dragging a pros- attack dogs or humiliating them in trate,naked Iraqi across the floor on front ofgrinning female guards.Even a leash.”1 more shocking photos showed sol- Reed’s opening statement, of diers grinning and laughing alongside course, was only a prediction—no dead Iraqis whose bodies had been one knows for sure how the scandal mutilated. Perhaps worst of all, no 10
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