Essay #2
The documentary “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” examines how American soldiers treated prisoners in the duration of the Iraq war at Abu Ghraib.This film enables people to have knowledge of how conditions really are. The prison guards abuse their power and treated the prisoners at Abu Ghraib brutally and barbarically. The soldiers that occupied Abu Ghraib were depicted to be filled with rage and tortured prisoners relentlessly with little regard or knowledge for the rules of war. Ignorance is the answer to such horrible behavior. The soldiers were young and filled with good intent followed commands that ordered them to torture, abuse and murder detainees so they can get as much information as possible. There were thousands of detainees and they were all “treated like dogs”.
The major way that the general public gets knowledge about the goings on in war is through the media and photography. Due to the advancement of technology and the fact that soldiers now have the ability to bring their digital camera with them to their assigned locations, the public has truthful, uncensored knowledge of the war. The horrific instances that took place at the Abu Ghraib prison came to light for this very reason. Soldiers took photos almost everyday of examples of torture that took place while interrogating detainees.
The public has seen photographs of the events that took place at Abu Ghraib, leaving them with “an insuperable power to determine what [they] recall of events” and due to this, people will associate the goings on in Iraq with the type of inhumane behavior. Due to the advancement of technology it is hard for people to get away from events unscaved. Photos, and secretive documents always surface, leaving the public with knowledge that they would not normally have of conditions of war. The abuse and illegal actions done by the U.S military at their time at the Abu Ghraib is now undeniable due to photographic evidence obtained by the U.S military.
If it were not for photography, the events at Abu Ghraib would not exist in the minds of people who were not directly a part of this war. Seeing these photos of extreme dehumanization, torture, humiliation, etc. all done by the U.S military sticks with people due to its shock and the element of volatileness within the photos. In my opinion, these photos are the photos that people will remember hold the most legacy when thinking back on the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the duration of this class, I have seen a number of inspiring photographs taken by photojournalists at the scene of war. In my opinion, the intent of these photos were to cultivate positive change, but after seeing the photos at Abu Ghraib, when I think of war, I now think of these photos over the others.
The mission going into Abu Ghraib was to gain intelligence about the 9/11 attack or future terrorist attacks. The only way to make any type of progress in this war was to gain information from the prisoners, but the way in which Americans went about obtaining this information was, in my opinion, stooping down to terroristic levels. Because these actions were recorded, one could argue that these instances will always be remembered and regarded as very important historical information.
It is important that people have knowledge of what goes on during war, especially regarding Abu Ghraib. The illegal and abusive actions of U.S soldiers were not actions of bravery or in anyway could they be considered honorable. Due to the power of photography, people now know of these actions and one could argue that because people have this information, these actions will not be repeated. The events that took place at this prison have the right to be learned about and remembered just as 9/11, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. It shows lack of knowledge of the U.S military, lack of training, and a lack of communication among people in charge.
In my opinion, visual legacy is the actual legacy of war. The majority of people never experience war and have little knowledge of what actually goes on behind enemy lines. Photos capture moments that words inadequately describe. Due to awareness brought on by documentation, people are capable of assessing a situation more accurately. Visuals are the only things capable of bringing the country to an understanding of the world around them and a world in which they cannot be physically apart of. Knowledge and a shared stream of consciousness is the only way societies can function cohesively according to James Natchwey and when it comes to war, photos tell a story that words simply cannot.
