Operation Iraqi Freedom: The Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal and Its Impact in the War on Terror

Abstract

Did the failure of the U.S. Military in the application of operational art planning and command and control (C2) result in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal? This paper contends that it did and if the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had designed an effective C2 structure for detainee operations before hostilities in Iraq began, the Abu Ghraib scandal would not have occurred. The dysfunction at Abu Ghraib was initially exposed in late January 2004 and created overwhelming animosity toward U.S. policy and the U.S. military. Specifically, the handling and treatment of prisoners within the Abu Ghraib facility from October 2003-January 2004 provided bizarre visions of sadistic abuse at the hands of U.S. military personnel. Conclusions will be discussed, as well as probable causes for failure in operational planning and C2. In addition, recommendations are offered that may prevent or reduce such detainee operational failures in the future.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 31, 2008
Accession Number
ADA494272

Entities

People

  • Patrick M. Gibbons

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Command And Control
  • Congress
  • Correctional Facilities
  • Criminal Justice System
  • Department Of State
  • Governments
  • Human Behavior
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Operations
  • Military Personnel
  • Personnel Management
  • Prisoners
  • Prisons
  • United States
  • United States Central Command
  • War
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control