It's been nearly two decades since the world was shocked by leaked images of US soldiers committing war cr!mes at Abu Ghraib.
It's been nearly two decades since the world was shocked by leaked images of US soldiers committing war cr!mes at Abu Ghraib.
But the grim legacy of this scandal still haunts us today, as those responsible for these heinous acts continue to evade justice.
Back in April 2004, the world was stunned by the release of hundreds of photos showing US military personnel brutalizing and sexually assaulting detainees at the infamous prison in Iraq. The Red Cross reported that up to 90% of the prisoners there had been wrongly detained.
These horrific images included US soldiers sexually assaulting and humiliating male and female prisoners, soldiers laughing and posing with the corpse of a detainee who had been tortured to death, and prisoners being subjected to electrocution threats and forced to simulate sex acts while soldiers looked on and cheered.
Amnesty International declared unequivocally that these actions constituted war crimes and violated international law. Yet the survivors of this torture and mistreatment have been consistently denied justice and compensation.
This month, victims of the Abu Ghraib torture had their first day in court, but not against the real culprit, the US government. The civil trial against military contractor, CACI, which was involved in the torture of prisoners during the US occupation of Iraq, begins today in Virginia, US. CACI has tried to have the case dismissed 20 times since it was first filed in 2008.
Despite then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's admission of responsibility, those who directed and oversaw these atrocities have yet to face any real consequences. While 11 low-level soldiers have been court-martialed, none of the high-ranking officers, or government officials responsible for these crimes have been brought to justice.
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