If we win the global war on terrorism, it will be through a moral victory. How did abu Ghraib impact that war (from the perspective of those watching from the sidelines, mostly outside the US)?
- It demonstrated a lack of respect for Arabs, Muslims, and Iraqis.
- It belied the American claim it was in Iraq for the betterment of Iraq's people.
- It demonstrated that American values — process of law and human rights — are false.
How do you recover from this? Are we even making any progress in this war?
NOTE: Beyond the humiliation captured in the famous photos, I have read of rape (including using implements), murder, and severe beatings. It's been implied that Rumsfeld's unreleased video/pictures depict these crimes. [John Robb's Weblog]