Lessons from Visual Representation of War in Iraq Essay

Lessons from Visual Representation of War in Iraq - Essay Example 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 w ho was working at the prison facility in Abu Ghraib. Upon investigation, a report was produced and released to the press. ... 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