More Than an Embarassment

The Abu Ghraib prison incident was highly publicized and controversial when the story first broke in April 2004. Now the story has all but disappeared, however the subject remains controversial to this day. The subject of torture and United States policy with regard to its detainees is prominent in the news today, four years later. Abu Ghraib was ground zero and is what sparked debate and controversy on torture and U.S. policy that continues today. This paper aims to prove the Abu Ghraib prison incident directly impacted the U.S. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) strategy. Specifically with regard to the treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) and the projection of American values to the rest of the world including potential adversaries. To accomplish this, GWOT, torture and American policy is defined both before and then after the Abu Ghraib incident. Some background is provided on Abu Ghraib as well. Government documents and laws are examined, expert opinion is examined and government officials' statements on the subject are examined in order show how the Abu Ghraib incident helped shape GWOT strategy today. I recommend Congress ensure that United States Policy and the actions of the United States reflect the will and values of the people of this great nation. I also recommend America starts earning back its credibility and diplomatic currency on American terms, not terms created by terrorists which cause us to compromise American values.