The Iraqi prison twenty miles away from Baghdad Abu Ghraib is now infamous for maltreatment. It is unknown how many people the prison held. The vast majority of prisoners were civilians picked up by the military at traffic stops. They were undocumented in the prison or placed under an ambiguous category of "common criminals" or those suspected of "crimes against the coalition". Most were not meant to be in Abu Ghraib, but since many prisoners were undocumented, this went overlooked as did the abuse against them. Specialist Joseph Darby exposed the wrongdoings that were happening at the prison when he came across naked pictures of detainees on prison guard Charles Graner 's camera. At first, Darby thought the pictures were of the guards, but
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If instructed to use any means necessary to get information, the soldiers may have simply been following orders. This idea of obedience despite being asked to commit morally questionable acts is demonstrated in Milgram’s obedience study. In the experiment, the participants were asked to shock another participant. Even when they wanted to quit, the experimenter urged them on and most continued, despite feeling quite distressed. The experiment showed, “the sheer strength of obedient tendencies” (Milgram, 1963, 276). In the experiment, the participants were given very little time for reflection and decision (Milgram, 1963). This can be compared to the situation the soldiers at Abu Ghraib were in. When feeling threatened or trying to keep the peace, the soldiers had to react immediately. They would therefore react by following instructions given to them previously. The substance of the command is not to be debated when the source is one of established authority (De Vos, 2011, 289). It is also easier to follow orders when it is said that the interrogations will not cause any undue or lasting harm (Packer, 2008). Furthermore, to some, disobedience is seen as a sign of strength and masculinity (Nicholson, 2011). In the military, disobedience has consequences. In battle, it is crucial that orders are followed and ranks are respected. Disobedience are also seen asas abuses of position and, if sufficiently grave, …show more content…
The factors that led to the torture of the detainees have not only been seen in the Iraqi prison. As demonstrated by Milgrim’s experiment, obedience to authority even to a fault is a widespread phenomenon. Zimbardo’s experiment showed conditions much like those in the real prison that led to violence as they did in the real prison. The actions of those guards at Abu Ghraib have been seen before and will be seen again because the factors are still present. In many social orders, obedience is a highly valued virtue. Prejudiced beliefs continue to live in the minds of many, even if unconsciously. Self-justification is natural and humans do it all the time, even for ill. These attributing factors and many more factors not mentioned in this paper have not gone away with the intervention of Abu Ghraib. However, with this information, preventable measures can be taken and the possibility of abuse can be monitored and thwarted if seen. While the potential for abuse of power is always present, understanding the motivational and situational factors allows actions to be taken to prevent future
If instructed to use any means necessary to get information, the soldiers may have simply been following orders. This idea of obedience despite being asked to commit morally questionable acts is demonstrated in Milgram’s obedience study. In the experiment, the participants were asked to shock another participant. Even when they wanted to quit, the experimenter urged them on and most continued, despite feeling quite distressed. The experiment showed, “the sheer strength of obedient tendencies” (Milgram, 1963, 276). In the experiment, the participants were given very little time for reflection and decision (Milgram, 1963). This can be compared to the situation the soldiers at Abu Ghraib were in. When feeling threatened or trying to keep the peace, the soldiers had to react immediately. They would therefore react by following instructions given to them previously. The substance of the command is not to be debated when the source is one of established authority (De Vos, 2011, 289). It is also easier to follow orders when it is said that the interrogations will not cause any undue or lasting harm (Packer, 2008). Furthermore, to some, disobedience is seen as a sign of strength and masculinity (Nicholson, 2011). In the military, disobedience has consequences. In battle, it is crucial that orders are followed and ranks are respected. Disobedience are also seen asas abuses of position and, if sufficiently grave, …show more content…
The factors that led to the torture of the detainees have not only been seen in the Iraqi prison. As demonstrated by Milgrim’s experiment, obedience to authority even to a fault is a widespread phenomenon. Zimbardo’s experiment showed conditions much like those in the real prison that led to violence as they did in the real prison. The actions of those guards at Abu Ghraib have been seen before and will be seen again because the factors are still present. In many social orders, obedience is a highly valued virtue. Prejudiced beliefs continue to live in the minds of many, even if unconsciously. Self-justification is natural and humans do it all the time, even for ill. These attributing factors and many more factors not mentioned in this paper have not gone away with the intervention of Abu Ghraib. However, with this information, preventable measures can be taken and the possibility of abuse can be monitored and thwarted if seen. While the potential for abuse of power is always present, understanding the motivational and situational factors allows actions to be taken to prevent future