We really, really fucked up with this.
The British press is picking up on the important detail that the people running the prisoner interrogations in the prison were hired contractors, meaning they're not subject to the rules of engagement or any other rules of war. They are truly outside of the law in Iraq, and this is the result.
Staff Sgt. Chip Frederick, the soldier most publicly accused of these crimes, claims that he is a scapegoat.
First of all, it has long been established that "just following orders" is not an acceptable defense. Neither is ignorance of the law. And in Frederick's case, ignorance of the law is not even a credible defense. It is likely that he did not know the letter of the law, in that he had no specific military prisoner training, and had apparently never seen the Geneva Conventions.
But here's the problem: he is a PRISON GUARD in Virginia. Whether he knew the letter of the law or not, there is no way I believe that he thought what he was doing was right. This is confirmed by his journal entries, which indicate that he complained about prisoner treatment to his superiors.
Even if his story is true (he began keeping a journal only after he was first questioned), he still participated and he does not get an excuse. His superiors should absolutely be held responsible, even more so, for these horrible acts, but it's not one or the other. They're all guilty.
I've been debating posting the pictures, and I've decided that I will, now that they're all over the place. I'm putting them in pop-up windows, though, so as not to force anyone to see them. That being said, I think it's very important that we all see them. Remember, this is being done in our name. Try to imagine the reaction in this country if pictures of American soldiers being treated like this surfaced.
As sickening as those pictures are, make sure you have a bucket handy as you read through the reactions to these horrific acts from some right-wing lunatics.