Abu Ghraib

I trust you have seen the latest series of photographs (Warning: Graphic images) of prisoner abuse--and yes, torture--at Abu Ghraib.

America and the entire world deserve to hear honest answers from the Bush Administration as to how and why this happened, and not just the well-worn excuse of it being entirely the fault of a few low-level rogue soldiers. From the Administration fighting against the anti-torture McCain Amendment, to Alberto Gonzales drafting legal briefs justifying torturous interrogation methods, to indefinite detainment and interrogation of prisoners at Guantanamo (which has prompted torture allegations and calls for the camp's shutdown by the United Nations), to foreign rendition of prisoners, to alleged secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe, it is obvious that the Abu Ghraib scandal isn't simply a case of battle-weary soldiers blowing off steam. Instead, it is a horrific illustration of the Bush Administration's blatant disregard for human rights. This Adminstration must be held accountable, right up to its highest ranks.

Salon.com's Walter Shapiro has a thoughtful essay justifying the website's decision to publish the latest Abu Ghraib photos, and why seeing them is important for all of us.

Abu Ghraib is not an issue of partisan sound bites or refighting the decision to invade Iraq. Grotesque violations of every value that America proclaims occurred within the walls of that prison. These abuses were carried out by soldiers who wore our flag on their uniforms and apparently believed that Americans here at home would approve of their conduct. Rather than hiding what they did out of shame, they commemorated their sadism with a visual record.

The Administration set the tone. Whether or not these soldiers were acting on direct orders or with the implied permission of their superiors is beside the point. They had every reason to believe they were acting within their authority, with the blessing of the Commander in Chief. For that, Bush and his cadre must be held responsible.

Human life, dignity and freedom aren't luxuries that can simply be negated in the name of the war on terrorism; without them, the war itself isn't worth fighting. If we want to hold the rest of the world to higher standards of human behavior, we must observe those standards ourselves.