Abu Ghraib
Much has been written on this topic. This article, however, was written by a former commander of the 372nd MP Company.
Some choice quotes:
- “These actions were the result of huge command failures.”
- “I refuse to believe that no leader above Frederick was aware of or complicit in the abuses”
- “All these leaders failed in their most basic responsibilities of supervising their soldiers in the performance of their duties.”
- “Is special training needed to show a soldier that this sort of thing is contemptible and contrary to any standards of decency?”
- “We have a right to expect more from our military.”
- In response to the widely quoted Rush Limbaugh comment: “To minimize the egregious conduct of some members of the 372nd (and their superiors) dishonors those men and women who honorably serve their country. We must not, as some commentators have said, deem this to be soldiers “blowing off steam” and equate it to a fraternity initiation. To me, that sort of response dishonors those who strive each day to serve their fellow soldiers and complete their missions — and who risk their lives to do so.”
- and, last but not least, “If our claim is merely that we are better than the terrorists, we leave a tenuous legacy for a budding democracy in Iraq.”
This is not some left-wing commentator, either; this is the former commander of the unit. Add that to the Army Times editorial and see that both sides of the conservative-liberal divide have people very, very angry about what has happened, and the failures that have become clear.
