Abu Ghraib Prison - 18 |verified|

. These images depicted U.S. soldiers smiling while posing next to naked, humiliated, and physically abused Iraqi prisoners. Types of documented abuse included: Abu Ghraib prison 18

, Iraq. This distance became a defining geographic marker for the facility as it transitioned from a site of torture under Saddam Hussein to an international coalition detention center during the Iraq War. The Story of Abu Ghraib "Abu Ghraib prison 18" likely refers to reviews

But the concept of "Abu Ghraib 18" lives on. It has become shorthand in military ethics courses for "the slippery slope." It appears in Guantanamo Bay legal briefs as precedent for "enhanced interrogation." And it haunts every U.S. administration that orders a "black site." The New York Times: "Abuse of Iraqi Detainees

In 2004, allegations emerged of widespread abuse and mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The abuses included physical and psychological torture, sexual humiliation, and other forms of cruel treatment. The allegations were first reported by The New York Times and The Washington Post, and they sparked a major scandal that led to a Congressional investigation.

• The New York Times: "Abuse of Iraqi Detainees May Be More Widespread Than Reported"
• The Washington Post: "Abuse of Detainees by U.S. Troops Detailed"
• CNN: "Abu Ghraib prison to close"
• BBC News: "Abu Ghraib abuse: A history"
• Human Rights Watch: "The Road to Abu Ghraib"

The Aftermath: Scapegoats and Silence

For further reading: The Taguba Report (2004), "Torture Taxi" by Trevor Paglen, and "The Abu Ghraib Files" by The Guardian.