STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE CLIP #5

Is it possible for a photograph to change the world? Photographs taken by soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison changed the war in Iraq and changed America's image of itself. Yet, a central mystery remains. Did the notorious Abu Ghraib photographs constitute evidence of systematic abuse by the American military, or were they documenting the aberrant behavior of a few "bad apples"?

We set out to examine the context of these photographs. Why were they taken? What was happening outside the frame? We talked directly to the soldiers who took the photographs and who were in the photographs. Who are these people? What were they thinking? Over two years of investigation, we amassed a million and a half words of interview transcript, thousands of pages of unredacted reports, and hundreds of photographs. The story of Abu Ghraib is still shrouded in moral ambiguity, but it is clear what happened there.

The Abu Ghraib photographs serve as both an expose and a coverup. An expose, because the photographs offer us a glimpse of the horror of Abu Ghraib; and a coverup because they convinced journalists and readers they had seen everything, that there was no need to look further. In recent news reports, we have learned about the destruction of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation tapes. A coverup. It has been front page news. But the coverup at Abu Ghraib involved thousands of prisoners and hundreds of soldiers. We are still learning about the extent of it.

Many journalists have asked about "the smoking gun" of Abu Ghraib. It is the wrong question. As Philip Gourevitch has commented, Abu Ghraib is the smoking gun. The underlying question that we still have not resolved, four years after the scandal: how could American values become so compromised that Abu Ghraib—and the subsequent coverup—could happen?

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News & Politics

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[bwr78625]

I mean this with all of my heart when I say this: you are a waste of every breath of air you have ever taken or will take. I hope hell is real and that you burn forever. Fuck you, bed wetter, go choke a cat or something.

[bwr78625]

Fourth, you still wet the bed. Fifth, you hate gay people, because you can't face the fact that you are gay yourself. Sixth, you are a virgin and will remain one for life...at least with women that is. Seventh, you will die alone and no one will come to your funeral..hopefully you commit suicide and get it over with early, saving the rest of society the burden of paying you wellfare.

[bwr78625]

LEXLOW, listen carefully.

You are the most ignorant, stupid, backwards motherfucker whose words i have ever read.  I can conclude several things from the vulgar bullshit you've written here. First, you've never been to Iraq. Second, you've never been around violent death, or watched a person be 'interrogated'. Third, you masturbate to thoughts of choking animals to death and family members.

[summerharthi]

LEXLOW,

Fuck you.

No one should even bother explaining shit to such igonorant retard.

[DariaDzhikovich]

Wow! You are a real nazi! Do you know, by the way that 9/11 was actually organized by CIA? If you don't - watch the documentary "Investigation from Zero".

[clanghead]

last I checked the US put Saddam into power, shot down a democratic Iran (iatola-present), gave Saddam weapons to fight Iran and keep his people in check. then the US tells the iraqi people to rise up in the 90's and that the US will back them but doesn't support them, so they die. oh and no iraqi person was on those planes. But the guy the US also gave training to and weapons to, in the 80's who is saudi and lives in afgan is 100% responsible...phew distabalizing a region is complicated.

[LEXLOW]

Saddam is dead for being stupid, we have reduced their population and blown their cities to shit. Hopefully after we leave that piece of shit land, they destroy the rest them selves. Rats only know one thing. To live like rats!

[LEXLOW]

When the fuck did we invade anything asshole. Saddam invaded Kuwait. Lost a war and kept of fucking around. Why because those animals have not evolved yet. Because they are stupid. Those animals blew up two buildings full of civilians like the extremist cowards they are. And am I supposed to feel sorry cause we are blowing them to pieces and torturing them? Fuck them. They deserve everything they get.

[kevin011235]

What is wrong with you.

Grow up and see the world as is.

This are the ones who invaded their homes.

[LEXLOW]

So off with theirs head. FUCK THEM ALL Literary, with a chainsaw!!!

Later!