Why did U.S. soldiers torture and abuse Abu Ghraib prisoners?

Question

I am writing a research paper on this and I can't seem to find information on why the soldiers did such a horrible thing, so if you could leave a source you found or any information you know, it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

They were bored and undisciplined soldiers who were inadequately trained and poorly led. No officers enforced discipline and the highest ranking Sargent was the main abuser. They claimed they did not have written instructions from their commanding officer and CIA agents encouraged them to push interrogations to the limit. The Bush administration  supported the concept of limited torture in the belief it was a lesser evil than allowing acts of terrorism. In general, it was a breakdown on every level of the chain of command from the Commander in Chief (Bush) to the Privates doing the abuse. The underlying reason is that Bush went to war without an adequate number of troops in Iraq and had to use unsuitable troops to do jobs that should have been handled by professional soldiers trained to handle prisoners.

A more disciplined organization, like the USMC, would have followed the UCMJ and officers would have noted any injured prisoners and investigated.  There are lapses in any organization, but not to the extent that happened at Abu Gharad.

edit: For those who have never been to war, discipline is very important. Soldiers allowed to rape and pillage will soon get out of control, refuse to follow orders during a fire fight, and kill their officers. If it really was a war at Abu Gharad, the officer in charge should have taken out his pistol and killed the Sargent leading the abuse to restore order. That is what you do in a war.  We have not handled Iraq like a real war.

Answer 2

It came right from the top. I wish I could remeber captain Geoffrey Miller name, worked on these torture methods at Gitmo, and he brought them to Abu Graib.  Gen.  Janis Karpinski  in charge of Abu Graib who took the fall for the Bush's  testified that she was purposely kept out of the loop as to the goings on there by her superior Gen Sanchez

And while all this was going on, Gonzalez and Miers were drafting memos stating that torture was legal

Answer 3

rex is pretty much right

however, WE ARE AT WAR, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

Answer 4

When did we torture the prisoners at Abu Ghraib?  Have they come out and said that we beat them?  What happened is that some stupid bored soldiers took pictures of these poor KILLERS in ridiculous poses to f with them and break them down, a little psych warfare on them.  The real nice prisoners, were high level killers in the Al Queda who spit, threw f***s and other bodily functions at our guards.

In my opinion, we should have whacked them all.  They take no prisoners.  The media has blown this way out of proportion and got many more of our troops killed because of these stupid soldiers.

Answer 5

No.

.Don't think so.

Unconciously they may not even be aware of what they were doing out there.

Luke 9.25,55-56,60

That got everyone at loss and blurr out there.

Those who got out of line.

Got themselves kick on the butts.

There's three picture postcards that does not seem to fit in with what went wrong out there.

Seemed to be communicating in pictures.

Without being aware Iraq as a living examples is all part of us.

With us getting caught with pants down.

Without being aware of it.

As one of the cockerel crows.

Luke 21.30-36

Only after the Asian Tsunami.

Were able to trace the faults.

Then realised we all got kick on the butts for doing things at own whims and fancy out there.

Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49

What do you think?