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:	9781317250104
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/08/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

S. G. Mestrovic

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;

Editorial Reviews

Mestrovic (The Balkanization of the West) was an expert witness at three of the seven courts-martial of U.S. soldiers for abuse at Abu Ghraib. Unsatisfied with the military justice that ensued, he notes that no officers were tried, the command climate was pernicious, a variety of existing guidelines were ignored or contravened, and conditions at Abu Ghraib were hellish for inmates and guards alike. Repeated attempts by defense councils to introduce higher-level command issues were rebuffed by the court, leaving the public with the impression that the affair was the fault of "a few bad apples," when in fact the entire orchard was poisoned, from the civilian leaders on down. The court also refused to consider three preexisting reports that pointed out both abuses and the potential for trouble at the Iraqi, Afghan, and Guant namo prisons. Mestrovic's hastily written account is riddled with repetition, psychological jargon, awkward syntax, and choppy organization, which makes for very difficult reading. Only highly comprehensive legal or military collections may be interested. Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KS Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal