War

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Recommended: Historical perspective on the modern debate regarding the use of torture

Recent photographs of Iraqi Prisoners Of War (POWs) being humiliated and abused by United States armed forces have caused uproar and disgust throughout the world. The sole purpose of any war is to win; either through destroying the enemy, or the achieving a specific goal. Why then should coalition forces be held to a higher standard in regard to treatment of POWs than the rest of the world? To fully explore this question we must understand the history of POWs, and the role that the United States plays in world affairs.
During the 1991 Gulf War, pictures of American pilots beaten and bleeding were shown to the world. Civilized nations were outraged. As Major Rhonda Cornum told of being molested, Colonel Jeff Tice told of being electrocuted, and other American and British pilots read scripted statements on television (PBS), civilized nations were appalled. Throughout the years, prisoners have been interrogated and mistreated by their captors. Vietnamese soldiers housed prisoners in substandard shelter or even pits throughout their country. The most famous POW camp was known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. Here, POWs where beaten, tortured and humiliated for years. Brainwashing techniques were perfected by North Korea during The Korean Conflict. World War I POWs were forced into labor camps or systematically murdered through “death marches” where guards would force prisoners to march until they died from exhaustion in an effort to reduce the number of prisoners in the camps. World War II POWs were killed, or used for medical experiments. The United Sates Department of Defense recognizes table below outlines the prominent type of torture administered during each of the official US Wars (DoD, 47). After the wars ended, and it was discovered just how badly the POWs were treated, civilized nations convinced themselves that torture and abuse were the acts of uncivilized nations ruled by madmen.
Principal Wars in which the US Participated
Official War Torture technique
Revolutionary War Murder, destruction of property
War of 1812 Rape, theft, Arson
Indian Wars Scalping, murder, rape
Mexican War Murder
Civil War Hanging, destruction of property
Spanish-American War providing only saltwater to drink-causing dehydration and hallucinations
World War I Sleep deprivation, murder
World War II (sexual) enslavement, medical experiments, death marches
Korean War re-education, Bataan Death March, physical torture
Vietnam War cutting off various body parts to get other prisoners to talk, Sleep deprivation, bamboo under fingernails
Gulf War-1991 Electrocution, humiliation, beatings, Sleep deprivation
Gulf War-2003 Religious and sexual abuse, humiliation, beatings, sleep deprivation

The United States has, from the onset of the Civil war, led the moral and ethical charge for proper care and treatment of prisoners of War.

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