Indulging in Cruelty: US Atrocities in Iraqi Prison of Abu Ghraib

In March 2003, the United States launched a full-scale invasion of Iraq, ignoring international laws and the UN's opinion. The campaign revealed the fact that while Washington was waxing lyrical about "humanitarian" values, the American military had something very different in mind.

The most notorious offense occurred in the Abu Ghraib facility on the outskirts of Baghdad, where American atrocities included sexual and psychological abuse of former Iraqi troops.

When these facts became public, American society - already opposed to the war in Iraq - was horrified. The crimes in Abu Ghraib were exposed by a number of independent journalists, including prominent investigative writer Seymour Hersh, who called his report 'The Chain of Command', implying that the problem was not unique but systemic.

According to reports, so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" were authorized by those in high command to "extract" classified information quickly. Perpetrators were put on trial but their sentences were in no way commensurate with their crimes. And those who issued inhumane orders - high-ranking military and political officials - were never brought to justice.

The famous psychologist Philip Zimbardo participated in the investigation and concluded that Abu Ghraib was part of a bigger picture – the system of humiliation and culture of domination in American army.

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The notorious picture illustrating the "stress position" where a prisoner of war has to stand still or risk receiving high-voltage shocks through the body. This practice was favored by the US army since it leaves almost no trace of violence to the body.

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The practice of putting prisoners of war in the "stress position" (standing completely still for hours or even days) was also implemented by US Army during the war in Vietnam.

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Sometimes US militants just immobilized Iraqi prisoners of war. In this picture, the prisoner of war's arms are placed in bags and tied together with plastic cuffs and a padlocked chain.

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American soldiers bully Iraqi prisoners of war with dogs. This was a deliberate choice since dogs are considered impure animals in Islam and Muslims are advised to avoid contact with them. It was a special psychological tactic of humiliation.

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Beating Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib was part of a daily routine. Corporal Charles A Graner Jr (in the photo) was adept at dishing out punishment.

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This photo allegedly shows the torture technique known as sensory deprivation, when a prisoner is blindfolded and/or deafened. The lack of sight and hearing quickly turn into nightmare.

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In this picture, an Iraqi prisoner of war is wrapped in foam padding and sandwiched between two stretchers. Usually US soldiers would sit on top of such a "sandwich" making it hard for the prisoner to breath.

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A relation of an Iraqi prisoner of war cries after being shown a report about the atrocities in Abu Ghraib.

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The crimes in Iraq sparked outrage in the Muslim world. In this picture, tomb stones in the northern Gaza City cemetery are seen, with pictures of Iraqi prisoners undergoing abuse by US troops glued to them.

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Tehran's Islamic community expressed the greatest outrage since the majority of Muslims in Iran and Iraq belong to the same branch of Islam - Shia. In this picture a mural in the Islamic Republic is seen depicting scenes Iraqi prisoners being tortured by US soldiers. The writing on the painting reads in Farsi: "Iraq Today".

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Iraqi citizens were also outraged by the events at Abu Ghraib and regularly organized demonstrations against US occupation. Abu Ghraib prisoners became impromptu martyrs to them.

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Under pressure from civilized society, the US army had to admit journalists to some parts of Abu Ghraib.

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The US invasion ruined Iraq and brought immeasurable misery to innocent civilians. Sinan Antoon - an Iraqi intellectual who opposed the rule of Saddam Hussein for all his life - would write in 2018 an Op-Ed in a US daily headlined 'Fifteen Years Ago, America Destroyed My Country'.