Editorial: Prisoner abuse embarrasses, tarnishes U.S.

The stark images coming out of Saddam Hussein’s former torture palace—the pictures from Abu Ghraib screaming across the wire and onto our televisions—are a sick form of therapy. We’ve got the fear, you see.

This is bad stuff; prisoners of war stacked naked while soldiers play king of the hill on the pyramid of bare flesh; men with bags on their heads being urinated on; simulated sex acts videotaped and used as blackmail, the list goes on.

But this shouldn’t come as any kind of surprise. Certainly, not to condone or even excuse the indignity of these actions, but there must be a degree of consideration taken into account in terms of the situation, because this is a gray area that has emerged between the elusive spheres of black and white that manifest themselves in times of war.

At issue is the matter of torture, or rather, the purpose of it. To imply that this was a run of the mill execution of the military command chain or an exercise in intelligence gathering is a false assumption.

Despite claims to the contrary, torture is not a regular method of military interrogation, no matter how badly the detainees may deserve it. Make no mistake, these are foul people who were abused: murderers, secret police, suicide bombers and various other permutations of extreme militantism. Were the roles reversed, you can bet that images of mutilated American soldiers on Al Jazeera television would be applauded and accepted, if not outright sanctioned.

But we don’t torture. Not just because it’s a poor method of extracting information (electrodes to the genitals do not guarantee the prevention of the next mortar attack or truck bomb) but also because we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard.

The soldiers responsible for these acts should and will be punished to the full extent of applicable law. And it doesn’t matter if they were, “just following orders.” That excuse didn’t work during the Nuremberg Trials and it won’t fly now. Yes, they were far from home, frightened and angry at the treatment they’ve received and tired of having to look over their shoulders. But it doesn’t excuse them.

Regardless of your feelings on the war, the fact remains that we’re going to be there for a while. We’re empire building now, and as such we can’t allow any conduct that may sour the progress of a new Iraq, especially on the part of an occupying body. So say you’re sorry and keep your noses clean, because everybody is watching.