HBO: Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

“There is no such thing as a little bit of torture”
Alfred W. McCoy, Author.

Beginning in 2004, accounts of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq (also known as Baghdad Correctional Facility) came to public attention. These acts were committed by personnel of the 372nd Military Police Company of the United States Army together with additional US governmental agencies.

In this powerful, emotionally jarring piece from HBO Documentary Films, acclaimed filmmaker Rory Kennedy looks beyond the headlines to investigate the psychological and political context in which torture occurred. The film explores the dark events that took place in 2003 at the infamous Iraqi prison. Interweaving news and archival footage, unsettling still photos of the crimes and eyewitness accounts from military personnel and victims The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib offers new insights into these events. The result is a startling look at how extreme situations can give rise to abusive behavior among soldiers as well as how the chain of command and even US policy set the stage for these abuses to occur.