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Description

The abuse of prisoners by U.S. Soldiers at Abu Ghraib had broad strategic consequences, leading many people around the world to question the legitimacy of U.S. goals and activities in Iraq. This paper draws on extensive unclassified reports from multiple investigations that followed Abu Ghraib, and applies key psychological as well as social-situational perspectives to develop a better grasp of the causative factors. From a psychological standpoint, most young adults are powerfully inclined to behave in accord with the social conventions and pressures around them. Especially in ambiguous circumstances, then, it is important that standards of behavior be clear and explicit throughout all phases of an operation and that leaders at all levels represent and reinforce those standards.

Document Type

Policy Brief

Topic(s)

Ethics, Leadership, National Security

Publication Date

11-2008

Publication

Defense Horizons

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Keywords

Abu Ghraib, prisoner abuse, detainee operations, military ethics, ethical leadership, military leadership, command climate, law of armed conflict, detainee treatment, military operations, organizational behavior, operational stress, military psychology, Iraq War, ethics in warfare, professional military education, human rights, military accountability, detention operations, leadership failure

Lessons of Abu Ghraib: Understanding and Preventing Prisoner Abuse in Military Operations

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