Abu Ghraib: A Few Bad Men (and Women)?

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As the scandal over abuse of Iraqi detainees at the hands of American troops continues to make headlines around the world, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials have tried to lay the blame on a few soldiers gone bad. Yet increasingly, questions are being raised about who authorized the treatment, and how far up the chain of command responsibility really lies. Should Pentagon officials resign? Were military intelligence officers or the CIA part of the problem? Did the Pentagon create a culture of crisis that helped condone controversial interrogation techniques? Guest host Sara Terry explores who-s ultimately responsible for the kind of abuse that happened at Abu Ghraib prison with military journalists and intelligence interrogators, human rights advocates, and a former attorney for the Justice Department. Making News: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in Iraq US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Baghdad today, and met with military commanders to discuss conditions at American-run prisons. He also held a town-hall meeting, where he got more than a few appreciative laughs. Anne Scott-Tyson, who covers the Pentagon for the Christian Science Monitor, says Rumsfeld's goal was to demonstrate leadership, deflect criticism of himself, and boost troop morale. Reporter's Notebook: Surprise Election Results in India Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned today after his ruling coalition was went down to an unexpected defeat in the polls. Equally stunning is the resurrection of the late Indira Gandhi's Congress Party which, after decades of being a prime political force, had nearly been relegated to history. Stanley Wolpert, longtime professor of Indian history at UCLA and author of more than 20 books on South Asia, says the election of this latest Gandhi is a reaffirmation of India's secularism.
As the scandal over abuse of Iraqi detainees at the hands of American troops continues to make headlines around the world, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials have tried to lay the blame on a few soldiers gone bad. Yet increasingly, questions are being raised about who authorized the treatment, and how far up the chain of command responsibility really lies. Should Pentagon officials resign? Were military intelligence officers or the CIA part of the problem? Did the Pentagon create a culture of crisis that helped condone controversial interrogation techniques? Guest host Sara Terry explores who-s ultimately responsible for the kind of abuse that happened at Abu Ghraib prison with military journalists and intelligence interrogators, human rights advocates, and a former attorney for the Justice Department.
  • Making News: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld in Iraq
    US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Baghdad today, and met with military commanders to discuss conditions at American-run prisons. He also held a town-hall meeting, where he got more than a few appreciative laughs. Anne Scott-Tyson, who covers the Pentagon for the Christian Science Monitor, says Rumsfeld's goal was to demonstrate leadership, deflect criticism of himself, and boost troop morale.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Surprise Election Results in India
    Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee resigned today after his ruling coalition was went down to an unexpected defeat in the polls. Equally stunning is the resurrection of the late Indira Gandhi's Congress Party which, after decades of being a prime political force, had nearly been relegated to history. Stanley Wolpert, longtime professor of Indian history at UCLA and author of more than 20 books on South Asia, says the election of this latest Gandhi is a reaffirmation of India's secularism.
Guest host SARA TERRY is an award-winning writer and photographer, who has written for the Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Fast Company, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe. Her current photo-documentary project is "Aftermath: Bosnia's Long Road to Peace."

Army Times editorial on failure of military leadership, accountability

The Geneva Conventions

International Red Cross' report on coalition force's treatment of Iraqi detainees

Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) 95B on Military Police

The My Lai Massacre and Its Cover-Up by US Army

My Lai 4: A Report on the Massacre and Its Aftermath by Seymour Hersh

Tailhook Report by the Office of the Inspector General

War Crimes Act of 1996

Prime Minister Vajpayee

Sonia Gandhi, President of National Congress Party

Credits

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Warren Olney