Inside the Detention Camps: A New Campaign in Iraq ()
Abstract
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 without a detailed plan for handling large numbers of detainees in counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare. One consequence of this situation was the debacle at Abu Ghraib prison that surfaced in 2004. Since then, the United States has struggled to regain the moral "high ground" and the trust of the Iraqi people. After the Abu Ghraib scandal, the U.S. military mainly concentrated on enforcing conventional "care and treatment" standards for the humane handling of detainees. Insurgents, on the other hand, challenged coalition force (CF) authority in the camps and worked to recruit and train insurgents inside U.S. detention facilities. But in the past year, the handling of detainees has undergone a transformation. The new approach encourages detainees to embrace a more moderate view of Islam, reject violence, and support the government of Iraq. While the jury remains out on the reorientation effort's long-term effect (curbing recidivism or cramping insurgent recruitment, for example), it provides a useful case study of adaptation in war. This article describes the new detainee policies, summarizes the effort to assess benefits and risks, highlights the reaction to that assessment, and explains early (and expected) campaign impacts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA501229
Entities
People
- Drew Miller
- Mason Brooks
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses