Introduction
On May 10, 2004, journalist Seymour Hersh broke the story of torture and abuse at the U.S. military's Abu Ghraib prison facility in Iraq. After reading Hersh's story, watching the Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, and reviewing the articles posted below, explain the causes and consequences of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in a personal blog of your own construction.
Technical instructions to set up your blog
1) Go to blogger.com and log in with your google username and password.
2) Select a display name for your posts and accept google's terms of service.
3) Name your blog in the following manner: yourlastname_report_on_abu_ghraib.
4) Select a plain, professional looking blog template as this assignment deals with the most serious of subjects.
5) You may use images, maps, video, and other media to illustrate your blog.
6) All text on the blog should be your original work, although you may quote and cite sources to illustrate your argument.
Assignment | Each individual will present a personal blog to me for grading. Entries are due on the dates below.
1) The Context of the Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse Scandal
Read and View: Thomas Ricks, Fiasco, chapters 11-12; Abu Ghraib Context, film excerpts from Bush's War
Writing Assignment:
What was the context for the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal? Specifically, what was the situation in Iraq in the summer and fall of 2003 that led to the demand for more "intelligence" and the adoption of harsh interrogation techniques?
Blog Post Due By: November 10
2) The Geneva Conventions and the War on Terror
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (5:36-9:13)
Writing Assignment: What are the Geneva Conventions? When did they become an issue in the War on Terror? Why are the Geneva Conventions important to Americans? Describe John Yoo and the Justice Department's position on the Geneva Conventions and their application in the war against al-Qaeda. When did President George W. Bush make a decision on the application of the Geneva Conventions in the War on Terror, and what did he decide?
Blog Post Due By: November 11
3) The Justice Department and the UN Convention Against Torture
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (9:13-11:30)
Writing Assignment: What position did John Yoo and the Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales take on the definition of torture provided in the UN Convention Against Torture? How does Yoo explain his position? What did critics of this memo say?
Blog Post Due By: November 11
4) American Techniques of War and Iraqi Civilians
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (11:30-15:34) Writing Assignment: Based on the presentation in this documentary, how would you describe the techniques of war used by the United States during the summer of 2003? What happened to Iraqi civilians in particular?
Blog Post Due By: November 11
5) Abu Ghraib - The Location, Atmosphere, and Situation at Abu Ghraib by September 2003
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (15:34-23:20)
Writing Assignment: Describe the environment that the 372nd Military Police (MP) Company encountered when the arrived at Abu Ghraib. What training had they received to act as MPs? How did they describe the prison? How many prisoners were at Abu Ghraib by the end of September 2003? How many MPs?
Blog Post Due By: November 13
6) The "Hard Site" and the Failure of "Intelligence" at Abu Ghraib
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (23:20-28:36)
Writing Assignment: What was the "hard site" at Abu Ghraib? How many guards were watching prisoners? What kind of prisoners were in the "hard site"? Were intelligence officers collecting data at Abu Ghraib?
Blog Post Due By: November 14
7) Major General Geoffrey Miller, Donald Rumsfeld, Ricardo Sanchez and Interrogation Techniques
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (28:36-37:50)
Writing Assignment: Geoffrey Miller was a favorite of Donald Rumsfeld. What did Miller implement at Guantanamo Bay? Did Rumsfeld approve Miller's techniques his Action Memo of November 27, 2002? Where was Miller sent in August 2003 and why? How did Miller's arrival in Iraq influence the situation there? For instance, what did Richardo Sanchez issue in memo form on September 14, 2003 after Miller's arrival? And what situation did this create with the Abu Ghraib facility?
Blog Post Due By: November 14
8) Military Police Moved from Incarceration Staff and Placed Under Military Intelligence (MI)
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (37:50-41:18)
Writing Assignment: What were the repercussions when the Military Police were moved from Janet Karpinski's command to Military Intelligence?
Blog Post Due By: November 16
9) What happened at Abu Ghraib?
Read and View: Seymour M. Hersh, "Torture at Abu Ghraib"; and The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (41:18-1:02:22)
Writing Assignment: What happened at Abu Ghraib during the prison abuse scandal? How did the Prison Riot of 2003 affect the situation at Abu Ghraib? What happened in the interrogations themselves?
Blog Post Due By: November 16
10) How did the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal become known and what was the immediate result?
View: The film The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib (1:02:22-1:18:19)
Writing Assignment: How did the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal become known and what was the immediate result? Was Abu Ghraib properly characterized as "Animal house on the Night Shift? Or, was something else happening there?
Blog Post Due By: November 17
11) Antonio Taguba and his report, May 2004
Read: News Coverage of Taguba Report on Abu Ghraib, May 2004 | html | html; Seymour M. Hersh, "The General's Report: How Antonio Taguba, Who Investigated the Abu Ghraib Scandal, Became One of Its Casualties," The New Yorker, June 25, 2007.
Optional Viewing: Antonio Taguba Testimony on May 11, 2004 before Senate Armed Services Committee (begin testimony at 31:55).
Writing Assignment: What did Antonio Taguba say in his report on the prison scandal in May 2004? Blog Post Due By: November 18
12) The Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Treating of Detainees in December 2008
Read: Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti, "Report Blames Rumsfeld for Detainee Abuses," NYT, December 11, 2008; The Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody, December 11, 2008.
Writing Assignment: What did the Senate Armed Services Committee Report on the Treatment of Detainees say when it was released in December 2008?
Blog Post Due By: November 19
13) Where are Lynndie England and Charles Graner now?
Read: Emma Brockes, "Interview: She's Home from Jail, But Lynndie England Can't Escape Abu Ghraib," The Guardian, 2 January 2009; David Dishneau, "Charles Graner Released: Abu Ghraib Abuse Ringleader Set Free From Kansas Prison," The Huffington Post, August 6, 2011.
Writing Assignment: Where are Lynndie England and Charles Graner now?
Blog Post Due By: November 20
Reading and Viewing Links
Thomas Ricks, Fiasco, chapters 11-12 | Fiasco audio download
Documentary Film: Excerpts from Bush's War on the context of the Abu Ghraib scandal | html
Seymour M. Hersh, "Torture at Abu Ghraib," The New Yorker, May 10, 2004 | html
Documentary Film: The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib | html
Timeline: Abu Ghraib timeline | html
News Coverage of Taguba Report on Abu Ghraib, May 2004 | html | html
Seymour M. Hersh, "The General's Report: How Antonio Taguba, Who Investigated the Abu Ghraib Scandal, Became One of Its Casualties," The New Yorker, June 25, 2007 | html
Scott Shane and Mark Mazzetti, "Report Blames Rumsfeld for Detainee Abuses," The New York Times, December 11, 2008 | html
The Senate Armed Services Committee Report on Treatment of Detainees in U.S. Custody, December 11, 2008 | html
Emma Brockes, "Interview: She's Home from Jail, But Lynndie England Can't Escape Abu Ghraib," The Guardian, 2 January 2009 | html
David Dishneau, "Charles Graner Released: Abu Ghraib Abuse Ringleader Set Free From Kansas Prison," The Huffington Post, August 6, 2011 | html
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