The leaked photographs showing scenes of sadistic physical and psychological abuse inflicted on Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib, the notorious prison where Saddam Hussein’s jailers preceded US forces, will have long-term negative repercussions on American designs for the Arab world, and Arabs’ perception of the United States.
While it was known that the rules of the Geneva Convention were being routinely flouted by Americans in Iraq, as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported months ago, the graphic pictures revealed the extent of these serious violations of international humanitarian law.
They were supplemented by even more explicit descriptions of the prisoners’ ordeals, including a comprehensive report by US General Antonio Taguba, and Seymour Hersh’s extensive investigative reporting in The New Yorker.
