Trials of Abu Ghraib: An Expert Witness Account of Shame and Honor

by S. G. Mestrovic

Overview

'Offers a front row seat at the courts martial of those accused in America's notorious prison abuse scandal.' -Adam Zagorin, senior correspondent, Time Magazine 'A must-read for all those committed to restoring a sense of honor to our country and the Armed Forces of the United States following the national embarrassment of Abu Ghraib. The unlawful directives and policies issued by the senior civilian leaders in the Department of Defense, and their flawed strategy that took our nation to war, set the conditions for abuse that would have disastrous consequences on the war in Iraq and the future of the Middle East. Amazingly, as of this writing, senior leaders have yet to be held accountable. Read this book, become better informed, and energize your elected officials to do the right thing.' -Major General John Batiste, U.S. Army (Retired) S. G. Mestrovic's story of three principal trials-those of convicted soldiers Lynndie England, Javal Davis, and Sabrina Harman-stands among the most poignant trial narratives ever told. During the trials Mestrovic, an expert witness on behalf of the three soldiers, had access to documents and records unavailable to the press and the public. He reveals the evidence, some suppressed from testimony, that the abuse at Abu Ghraib is part of a widespread pattern of abuse, imported from Guantanamo, that made its way to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594513343
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/15/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	244
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

S.G. Mestrovic is Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University and is the author of many books, including This Time We Knew: Western Responses to Genocide in Bosnia (with Thomas Cushman, New York University Press 1996). He was a consultant and expert witness at the International Court of the Tribunal for Yugoslavia in the Hague and as well as the Abu Ghraib courts-martials for Javal Davis, Sabrina Harman, and Lynndie England.

Table of Contents

Prologue: A Few Bad Apples?; Part I Metaphors of the Apples, Orchard, and Orchard-Keepers; Chapter 1 The Few Rotten Apples Theory; Chapter 2 The Poisoned Orchard; Chapter 3 The Orchard Keepers; Part II Chaos at the Courts-Martial at Ft. Hood; Chapter 4 The Court-Martial of Javal Davis—The Soldier Who Snapped for Ten Seconds; Chapter 5 The Court-Martial of Sabrina Harman: Why Didn’t Smiling Girl Just Walk Out the Door?; Chapter 6 The Trial of Lynndie England: The Story of “Leash Girl” in Love with the Ringleader of the Night Shift; Part III Detox for the Orchard; Chapter 7 What the Trials Revealed: Abu Ghraib as Hell on Earth; Chapter 8 Recognizing and Overcoming Dysfunctional Responses to Abu Ghraib; Chapter 9 Detox for the Contaminated Apple Orchard;