Lessons from Visual Representation of War in Iraq - Essay Example

Lessons from Visual Representation of War in Iraq Introduction The representations of the Iraq war have had a major role in shaping the public opinion of the invasion and occupation of United States on Iraq. Apart from the much celebrated photos of the toppling of Saddam’ s statue and united states soldiers giving candy to Iraqi children, the emergence of photos from Abu Ghraib prison revealed the atrocities that the American soldiers were perpetrating on Iraqi detainees. Previous photos from the war in Iraq had justified the invasion of Iraq by America, which viewers all over the world saw as important in curtailing Iraq, as it was becoming a threat to the United States. However, the emergence of new photos challenged the initial representation of the invasion in Iraq. Gruesome videos and photographs emerged documenting the torture at Abu Ghraib, of the Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers (Giroux 2004). The consequences of the torture of Iraq detainees by United States soldiers are far reaching. Following the release of the photos by the press, people have questioned the legitimacy of US activities and goals in Iraq. This essay will highlight the lessons learnt from the visual representation of the war in Iraq. Discussion Prisoner Abuse The abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib can be learnt from the visual representation of the war in Iraq. Following the appearance of photographs in the news in April 2004, the Iraqi and world opinion shifted against the US. These revelations led to reports and investigations in which analysts found out that the medical personnel of the US military was involved in the abuses perpetrated in Abu Ghraib. Photographs were released to the press following the reporting of Iraqi prisoners’ abuses by a police sergeant who was working at the prison facility in Abu Ghraib. Upon investigation, a report was produced and released to the press. Several books and media accounts on the events that transpired in Abu Ghraib have led to more investigations by the US government. Subsequently, the investigations have led to trial and convictions of US soldiers and officers some of them being interdicted or demoted. Debates by the public ensued in order to find out whether it was a few officers or the entire force. However, the administration which was under Bush claimed that it was a case of few individuals (Giroux, 2004). The culture of the military is highly depicted through the representation of torture in the photographs. Some of the individuals who were responsible for the atrocities committed on Iraqi detainees. However, according to Bartone, (2010), majority of the service members in the US military were not capable of taking part in the torture of the detainees and were dismayed by the acts of their counterparts. They indicated that the scandal of Abu Ghraib was a major stressor and a violation of humanitarian and democratic ideals that the US military was advocating for. Individual and situational factors have been depicted following the emergence of the picture detailing the torture at Abu Ghraib. Under the situation in which the military was placed in at Abu Ghraib, there was the likelihood of development of sadistic tendencies on the part of the soldiers. The prison environment was responsible for development of sadistic tendencies depicted in the nature of torture the officers meted on Iraqi detainees. Situational factors The visual representation of the war in Iraq highlights the ambiguity in command chain in the US military that was deployed in Iraq. The atrocities highlighted in the photos were committed due to confusion and uncertainty as to who was in charge and responsible for ensuring that the military did not go overboard. The Taguba report, which detailed the events that transpired in Abu Ghraib, indicated that during the time when the torture was taking place, there was a major conflict between the commanders of the Military Intelligence Brigade and the commander of 800th brigade. Consequently, the American soldiers who were at the Abu Ghraib facility were not aware of the one in charge of them. The wrangles between the commanders created an ambiguity in the chain of command. The presence of CIA teams at the facility, who were allowed to carry out their duties under rules that differed from the ones the US military had been given, created a fertile ground for uncertainties. Moreover, the activities that the CIA teams undertook increased difficulties and reduced the accountability in tracking of prisoners. Furthermore, the presence of the CIA made it increasingly confusing with regard to who was responsible for interrogation operations and in charge of the prison (Giroux 2004). The activities that took place at Abu Ghraib were fueled by lack of active involvement of leaders. During the mission at Iraq, leaders of the military units were not visible and could neither monitor the forces nor communicate policies, standards and plans to the soldiers. At Abu Ghraib, the sergeant who reported the abuses claimed that the officer in charge of the Abu Ghraib facility was rarely seen. Moreover, the battalion leaders and Brigade commanders had negligible contact with the soldiers at Abu Ghraib. This lack of visibility and involvement by the leaders could have provided a fertile ground for prisoner abuse (Sontag 2004). The visual representation of the war in Iraq, particularly the Abu Ghraib facility shows a lack of training of the forces deployed at the facility. According to the Taguba report, which has been used by Sontag(2004), there was lack of preparation and training in the 800th brigade. These forces were not trained on matters relating techniques and procedures that are necessary for handling prisoners. Moreover, the queer behavior of the military forces seeks to show that the entire force was not conversant with the rules from the Geneva conventions. The force was poorly trained since the reserve unit, which was responsible for most of the atrocities was mobilized hastily and then deployed to Iraq. These soldiers were poorly trained on how to handle and resettle prisoners at the deployment site, the mobilization site and throughout the Iraq mission. Leaders were also responsible for failing to offer the needed training during the deployment. Poor discipline in the military force is depicted by the visual representation of the war in Iraq. The stringent forces of the military such as wearing of uniform and behavioral standards, which incorporate discipline aspects such as saluting, were neither established nor enforced (Sontag, 2004). According to Bartone (2010), there was weak discipline within the military units, which is highlighted in journals. The operational journals of the military contained flippant comments and entries that was unprofessional. These comments and entries depicted the deterioration of discipline in the units that were deployed at the Abu Ghraib facility. The leaders of these units failed to review the journals. This lack of attention to military standards is also highlighted in the manner in which prisoner checks and reports were disregarded. Psychological stressors have been depicted in the visual representation of the war in Iraq. There were major psychological stressors in the Iraq mission that the leaders of the military units failed to notice and appreciate. Sontag (2004), highlights that the soldiers who were deployed to Iraq had differences in cultures, and led different lives. Moreover, the soldiers were wary of the mortal danger that they were facing in an extended timeframe. The commanders’ failure to appreciate the pressures was a major contributor to the atmosphere at Abu Ghraib. In his report, Taguba indicates that the direct ramifications of psychological stressors and the negative effects due to lack of the leaders to address the stressors led to the development of sadistic behaviours, which were witnessed in the tortures at Abu Ghraib (Bartone 2010). Psychological stressors in times of military operations emanate from isolation, ambiguity, powerlessness, boredom and danger. These factors were present and were faced by the soldiers at Abu Ghraib. Ambiguity in the rules of conduct, regulations and orders is depicted in through the representation of the war in Iraq. The soldiers who were deployed to Iraq were not informed on the application of Geneva convections. Investigators came to note that the leaders of the military units were referring to prisoners as enemy combatants, which made the administration debate on whether to apply the aforementioned conventions. Policies were unclear and the military embarked on any methods that they deemed necessary for interrogation. Furthermore, the defense secretary had approved the interrogation techniques, which had been applied at Guantanamo Bay and had been outlawed. This lack of consensus on the techniques that were to be used for interrogation left soldiers confused. Moreover, the soldiers received enormous pressure from the commanders. The soldiers were compelled to gather intelligence from prisoners as quick as possible. This was information on topics such as terrorists’ location, attacks on US and where they had located their weapons. The pressure on these soldiers was aggravated by numerous visits by high officials who were calling for the extraction of better intelligence (Bartone 2010). Implications of the Representation of War in Iraq Following the representation of war in Iraq, it is important to note that military leaders have a responsibility of establishing a social climate and creating conditions that encourage ethical and positive behavior. Moreover, it is important for the military leaders to quickly address the unethical and negative practices upon their occurrence in the military units. The situation in Abu Ghraib was an indication that the circumstances and operations that surrounded the military operations had become unstructured, ambiguous and confused. Furthermore, the normal standards and rules for military operations failed to apply. In such situations, the military leaders are expected to possess a broader perspective and a moral compass that is strong (Bartone 2010). The military personnel that were deployed at Abu Ghraib were young and had to conform to all the rules of the military leaders. The military leaders had the responsibility of ensuring that proper behavior and perspectives were adhered to. The Taguba report recommends that the military units are supposed to display standards for the treatment of prisoners and the consideration of Geneva conventions. During international missions, the military leaders are supposed to ensure that the standards and engagement rules are communicated effectively. Prior to the communications, there should be clear understanding of the participating nations and the engagement rules and behavioral standards. Moreover, during the international missions, the leaders were expected to agree on how misconduct would be addressed (Bartone 2010). In preventing prisoner abuse, leaders and organizations need to improve the programs for selection to identify and decline applicants with a history of mental problems and misconduct. The leaders should recognize that the deployed soldiers, who are mostly young, are at a stage of development and need rules that are not hostile. Moreover, the leaders should train the soldiers on appropriate conduct in a variety of situations. In order to avoid the torture of prisoners like the one witnessed in Iraq, the military leaders and responsible organizations should recognize and appreciate the psychological stressors in international missions and aim to mitigating them (Bartone 2010). Conclusion In summary, the photographs and videos taken at the Abu Ghraib prison facility greatly shaped the public opinions about the nature in which the Military of the United States was undertaking its operations in Iraq. These photographs highlighted the nature in which the prisoners were being tortured by the US soldiers and how the military leaders took no step in addressing the issues that led to death of Iraqi detainees. This essay has discussed the situational factors, which were brought to light through the emergences of the Abu Ghraib photos. Lack of involvement of the military leaders and the lack of training of the forces that were deployed to Iraq was to blame for crimes that were perpetrated by the military units at Abu Ghraib. Weak discipline and psychological stressors were also some of the reasons that led to the proliferation of the injustices meted at Iraqi detainees. Given the consequences of the torture of the Iraqi detainees are far reaching, the US administration and military leaders should come up with appropriate measures to prevent the emergence of the behavior such as the one witnessed at Abu Ghraib. References Bartone, P. T. 2010. Preventing Prisoner Abuse:Leadership Lessons of Abu Ghraib. Ethics & Behavior ,vol. 20. no. 2, 161–173. Giroux, H. A. 2004. What Might Education Mean After Abu Ghraib:Revisiting Adorno’s Politics of Education. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East , vol. 24. no. 1, 5-21. Sontag, S. 2004, May 23). Regarding The Torture Of Others.Available from:. [28 May 2012]. Read More