Why Obama Refuses to Release Abu-Ghraib Torture Pictures?

Outline

This paper provides a draft on the topic mentioned above. President Obama has ordered not to release the pictures of Abu Ghraib torture, that was carried out by the deployed American forces on the detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison.

The paper firstly discusses the background of the problem, followed by a brief discussion of the Abu Ghraib scandal. Then the paper discusses President Obama's decision not to make public the pictures of torture. He said so while delivering a speech at the UCLA. This paper will discuss recent developments regarding the issue.

Background of the Problem

In 2004 an American-led coalition launched an invasion of Iraq, capturing thousands of Iraqi military personnel. Unlike the earlier conflict, Iraqi prisoners remained in captivity for a prolonged period, and combatant prisoners were mixed with individuals held for criminal offenses. By not separating POWs from civil prisoners, American commanders demonstrated that the Geneva Convention would not be explicitly followed in postwar Iraq.

In early 2004, disturbing reports surfaced in the media alleging the systematic abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of their American captors. Shown in photographs published in numerous media outlets, prisoners were forced to strip naked and assume humiliating positions, while being threatened with physical punishment or execution for disobedience. The shocking images brought the issue of POWs to the forefront of American political discussions (Kellberg, 2007).

The treatment of the prisoners, particularly those held at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, certainly involved massive violations of the Geneva Convention. According to some of the individuals accused in the abuse scandal, civilian authorities and members of the military intelligence community gave orders to ”soften up” the prisoners for interrogation (Kellberg, 2007).

In response, a massive system of abuses arose that included alleged torture, sexual assault, deprivation of food and clothing, and deliberate attempts to destroy the physical and mental health of the POWs (Tucker, and Sia, 2008). In response to the initial allegations, the Army immediately removed the commandant of the Abu Ghraib prison and initiated courtsmartial against the prison guards shown in the photographs. Outrage at the treatment of the prisoners was not limited to the American public; the evidence led to an immediate response within the region and galvanized opposition to the occupation of Iraq. Several individuals were convicted of a variety of offenses relating to the Abu Ghraib scandal; most chose to plead guilty to lesser offenses rather than facing courts martial (pubrecord.org).

In 2004, photographic revelations of the use of torture by U.S. agents in Iraq, particularly at the Abu Ghraib prison and Bagram prison, as well as the publication of official memoranda authorizing interrogation tactics that constitute torture for suspects in the “war on terror,” escalated into a major crisis for the administration of President George Bush (2001-2009). The actions constituted a breach of federal law as well as treaties that the United States had ratified. This crisis led the United Nations to reaffirm the universal and nonderogable prohibition of torture (www.wsws.org).

The Abu-Ghraib Scandal

The Iraqi ...