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We are led by war criminals, says general

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Army Maj. Gen. Anthony Taguba led the military’s investigation into the abuse at Abu Ghraib, and he did so honestly and forthrightly. As reward for doing his job well, he was forced to retire from the service he loved.

The two-star general has now written a forward to a report on widespread, systematic, officially sanctioned torture by U.S. soldiers and civilians. His conclusion is stunning:

“This report tells the largely untold human story of what happened to detainees in our custody when the Commander-in-Chief and those under him authorized a systematic regime of torture. This story is not only written in words: It is scrawled for the rest of these individuals’ lives on their bodies and minds. Our national honor is stained by the indignity and inhumane treatment these men received from their captors….

After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.”

The truth will emerge, and when it does this nation’s reputation will be seriously damaged in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of its own people. Our shame will be compounded by the fact that for so long we dumped blame for Abu Ghraib and other atrocities on the very lowest soldiers in the chain of command, those powerless to protect themselves, while allowing those at the top of that chain of command to claim clean hands.

Source

Read the Report

After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.

—Maj. General Antonio M. Taguba (USA-Ret.), preface to Broken Laws, Broken Lives

In PHR’s new report, Broken Laws, Broken Lives, we have for the first time medical evidence to confirm first-hand accounts of men who endured torture by US personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay. These men were never charged with any crime.

To download either the Executive Summary or the full text of the free report Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of Torture by US Personnel and Its Impact, please register on our site with your name, email address and postal code. We promise to keep your name and contact information confidential. But we’d like to thank you for reading and keep you informed of ways to learn more and take action.

Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of Torture by US Personnel and Its Impact

Broken Laws, Broken Lives - Executive Summary (862.1 KB)