Reaction to Abu Ghraib

The prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib were a terrible departure from the honorable traditions of our military. The 1949 Geneva Conventions set the bare minimum prisoner treatment requirements, and the US actually has a long history of exceeding those minimum standards. To order our troops to act below the bare minimums is dumb and dishonorable. It is not only bad for the prisoners and the war effort, it is also disrespectful and degrading for US soldiers. I don't think I have to tell you who I blame for this permanent stain on US honor.