By: Matt Pearson, Daniel Beringer, Cody Young

Tortures of Abu Ghraib

Background Information• Took place in 2004 at Abu Ghraib prison located in Baghdad, Iraq.•Main purpose was to extract intelligence from detainees. •Tactics used initially were not effective.•Military General Miller was sent to extract more information.•Geneva Convention did not apply.•UN convention regarding torture was very vague.

New Interrogation techniques focused on psychological torture.

Sparked world wide concern after pictures were released.

Resembled a new United States in the eyes of many.

United States tried to claim all of the torture was by only a few soldiers.

Left many Iraqis enraged, and only fueled their hatred toward Americans.

Background Information Cont.

United States Representation

The 2004 story about the tortures at Abu Ghraib were released in the United States.

Both 60 minutes and the New Yorker were among the first to report the tortures.

The United States released these images in a way that would take away from the true brutal manner these pictures had.

First appeared on CNN.com.Not as gruesome as foreign news outlets.

United States Representation

European Representation

Increased gruesomeness can be seen in European representation from the United States.

Among the least gruesome list of countries that published the events.

Countries not supporting America, tended to show the most graphic images.

European Representation

Middle Eastern Representation

The images shown were from published middle eastern news outlets.

The increased brutality of the images in the Middle East can be clearly seen.

The photographs published in Middle Eastern news outlets are almost unbearable.

Photos were used to fuel the flame for violence against America.

Middle Eastern Representation

Nearly every news outlet had access to all of the images shown.

Every image depicts the same events that occurred.

Each news outlet had the option to display which ever photos.

Raises the question of why each news outlet chose to show which photos and why?

Other International Media

Jones, Timothy M., and Penelope Sheets. "Torture In The Eye Of The Beholder: Social Identity, News Coverage, And Abu Ghraib." Political Communication 26.3 (2009): 278-295. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

Hentoff, Nat. "Abu Ghraib's General Speaks." Progressive 69.11 (2005): 12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

US Turned Blind Eye to Torture - Secret Iraq Files - Al Jazeera English." Al Jazeera English. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://www.aljazeera.com/secretiraqfiles/2010/10/20101022161828428516.html>.

Asser, Martin. BBC News. BBC, 25 May 2004. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3747005.stm>.

CNN. Cable News Network. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/21/iraq.abu.ghraib.inmate/index.html?iref=allsearch>.

"Google Images." Google Images. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. http://images.google.com/.

Works Cited