Iraq abuse inquiry: Your views

A new inquiry into the abuses at Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq has cleared Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez and three of his top aides of any wrongdoing.

The US Army inspector general's report says only Brig Gen Janis Karpinski, commander at the jail, has been found guilty and reprimanded.

She told the BBC last year that she had been made a "convenient scapegoat" for abuse ordered by others at the top, including Gen Sanchez.

What do you think about these latest findings? Should there be an independent investigation?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

---

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

I believe that this was all covered by the Nuremburg trial JC, Canada

I believe that this was all covered by the Nuremburg trials. A person cannot use the defense "I was ordered to do this" to avoid complicity in war crimes, nor can a superior officer avoid prosecution by saying "I didn't know it was happening". The responsibility for the troop's actions must ultimately end at the top of the rank structure as well as the individual. Of course though, we aren't "really" talking about "war crimes" here, are we?
JC, Canada

I'm sure everyone shouting about how the US is moving the world back to the Dark Ages has probably forgotten that on 9/11, the US was attacked and lost three thousand citizens.
Lee, Baghdad, Iraq (USA)

The climate of arrogance and unconcern for the rights of non-Americans was created by those at the top and it is therefore not surprising that those further down the chain of command assumed that what they were doing was legitimate under the "new rules" used after 9-11. Those who began the rot should be called to account, otherwise, if they're allowed to get away with it, the next time will be even more disgraceful.
John M, London, UK

I will reserve my personal verdict until the truth makes its way out Nate Haralson, Colorado Springs, CO USA

What does it matter what we think. The fact is that none of us here posting really knows what went on at Abu Ghraib. We have some pictures and some admissions of guilt by some lower-ranking soldiers. Anyone who suggests that President Bush know of or signed off on these "torture" techniques has become lost in their hate of the President. I will reserve my personal verdict until the truth makes its way out. And eventually it will. It always does...
Nate Haralson, Colorado Springs, CO USA

The entire world is just trying to deceive themselves and others because there is no need for a trail of prisoners' abuse cases! The US and their allies' invasion on Iraq itself is an abuse of humanity, sovereignty of Iraqi people and the international laws.
Sanam, Kabul, Afghanistan

This is ridiculous. There is more complaining for prison abuse than for the terrorists who massacred 3000 people on 11 September. Yet here are people whining about how terrorist suspects are mistreated, humiliated, and given low degrees of pain. Be thankful they're not massacred back.
Gene Odyssey, Germany

There is no excuse for this sort of conduct from the world's most powerful and well-disciplined military Michael, Ottawa, Canada

There is no excuse for this sort of conduct from the world's most powerful and well-disciplined military. Whether or not the top brass directly participated in abuse is irrelevant; they are culpable for not having prevented it, Plausible deniability is a poor excuse at best.
Michael, Ottawa, Canada

I do not think the investigations are independent. It is just a show. The guilty have been declared as non-guilty.
Muhammad Riaz, Pakistan

It is probably still going on today. No one really knows what is currently taking place at the US military base in Cuba. Prisoners there are not even covered under the Geneva convention (enough said).
Mike Bertin, Lorne, Canada

The alleged US military officials should be trial in international court of justice according to Geneva Convention.
Mak San, Japan

Why does anyone comment when something involves USA? What happened in Abu Ghraib is nothing when compared to other atrocities under full and open governmental orders, take for example, Middle Eastern countries, Pakistan, China and many other countries.
Sun, Detroit

Obviously an independent inquiry should be conducted into the involvement of the US administration. In fact an international neutral body should look into this. The US government want to turn a blind eye on this issue and therefore a US authority can never conduct an impartial inquiry.
Raj Verma, Allentown, PA, USA

Has there ever been a war without torture? Ali, Toronto

I don't think anyone is surprised by these findings. Has there ever been a war without torture? The Abu Ghraib incident is a direct result of war, as are the beheadings and the countless civilian deaths. The message of this verdict is clear: there is no such thing as a "clean" war and the Geneva Convention is just utopian nonsense.
Ali, Toronto

Too many mistakes in too many countries. And for all of them the same verdict: not guilty. It is a shame.
Dragos, Romania

Why am I not surprised that the top brass (except a woman) are exonerated and all the little people are found guilty? These people didn't just dream up the abuses - it was condoned from the top down. The inspector general's report is merely a cover-up for the highest levels. Of course there should be an independent investigation. No other kind will answer the real questions.
Linda Thornton, Sierra Madre, Calif. USA

Each country does what it feels is necessary to defend its security and safety. Prolonged torture is not the answer. These US and Iraq soldiers need to wake up to themselves.
Victoria, Queensland, Australia

The debate over torture has demonstrated the dangerous climate of opinion in America whereby the rule of law is seen as a hindrance to effective anti-terrorist action.
Nicola Turner, Huddersfield, UK

We went to war on a lie. Does it surprise anyone that we are still lying?
Beatrice Brady, Pinole, USA

An independent investigation is needed not just for what happened at Abu Ghraib, but what continues to happen at Guantanamo Bay and at the US prison camps in Afghanistan.
Barbara, Christchurch, New Zealand

Did anyone think there was even a remote chance that they would all be found guilty?
Mark, Toronto, Canada

There was no conviction because there was no crime Joe Pepe, New York City

Oh please, what torture? Fraternity hazing is more severe. There was no conviction because there was no crime.
Joe Pepe, New York City

How can anybody say that the world has made its verdict? It's not up for the world to decide! It is up to the investigators, who work to find evidence to prove a person guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If the evidence is not there, then the person is not found guilty. Fair justice is not the same as mob rule.
Thomas, Lancaster, PA, United States

As one who had legal duties in the US military, I know that the bias can be along the line of "when in doubt, side with discipline", ie the bias is towards the military and against the accused.
Pete Swinford, Lafayette, Indiana, USA

There seems to be a tendency in this case to go after everyone whom has ever heard of Abu Ghraib prison. The buck should stop with the commander of the prison. I doubt Miss Karpinski's superiors ordered her to abuse her power or the prisoners.
Dwayne Chastain, West Jefferson, Ohio

This is an example of why the US should never join the International Court Todd, Virginia, USA

This is an example of why the US should never join the International Court. These officers were tried on facts and evidence, not political ideologies. The ICC would convict them for political reasons alone. Bush has got another one right.
Todd, Virginia, USA

Those officers were leading soldiers during an occupation of a sovereign country and their defence is: "We didn't know what our soldiers were doing." If they are speaking the truth, it says a lot about their leadership capabilities.
Mario Vandaele, Kortemark, Belgium

Contrary to a biased media, many Americans are beginning to become more outraged with the administration. People are recognizing it is not unpatriotic to disagree with the conduct of this administration.
Kathleen Townley, Alameda, USA

Like you were expecting them to be found guilty? Not in a million years. The USA has abandoned the rule of law, for the law of whatever suits its goals.
Michael, Detroit, USA

Bush has admitted on TV that he is aware of and approves of the CIA sending prisoners to other countries that allow torture for questioning. If he is willing to admit this, then why should we not believe he is personally aware of other torture in Iraq and Cuba? Like any fanatic he believes that the end justifies the means and in that, he is no better than Saddam was.
Randy, Los Angeles CA, USA

If I'm ever accused of breaking any law, I'll want to do the investigation myself Andre Kohler, Los Angeles, United States

If I'm ever accused of breaking any law, I'll want to do the investigation myself. I should definitely be acquitted if I was in a stressful situation, such as having to run to many errands. Poor Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, he was such a busy boy!
Andre Kohler, Los Angeles, United States

The fact that four of the officers got away with this makes me sick and ashamed to be an American. Hopefully the world will come to realize that not all Americans are as closed-minded with actions likened to those of the soldiers involved and the Bush administration overall.
Mike, Worcester, MA, USA

The US has had its moral authority eroded to the point where it will be laughed off if it ever tries to make representations about human rights abuses elsewhere in the world. That is a great pity.
Bala Pillay, Bedford Canada

Anyone who thinks these officers got away with anything is totally ignorant of American Army Courts Martial.
Doug, LA, CA

The notion that the US operates by the rule of law is a joke Jim, Madison, WI, USA

The notion that the US operates by the rule of law is a joke. It appears that the law is applied selectively for transgressions applied in the US and outside the US. It should be abundantly clear that the world is watching and that it is quite likely that there may be blowback.
Jim, Madison, WI, USA

You cannot find somebody guilty without any evidence of wrongdoing, only because some people demand a penalty. Thank God military tribunals are not a court of public opinion.
Meerkat, Alexandria, VA, USA

There must be an independent investigation into the abuse case of double standard. The US is losing its credibility and concept of human rights.
Jet, Hangzhou, China

This whitewash by the US military of its own crimes comes as no big surprise.
Salah Khan, USA

The best we can do is to vow never again Morgan, Virgina, USA

On one side we have the military policing itself and exonerating the powers that be. On the other side is a lynch mob thirsting for blood and seeking to blame the entire US military. The best we can do is to vow never again and remain mindful of how easy it is for all sides to fall into the trap of fear and hatred.
Morgan, Virgina, USA

The process was far, the decision was correct. Case closed.
Mark, USA

Don't believe a word of it. As far as we know, even President Bush knew and signed a Memo authorizing some of it.
David, Portland, USA

US prisons are famed for racial gangs, violence, staff abuse, drugs and overcrowding. This rot permeates into the military system.
Drew, Ontario, Canada

The abuses at Abu Ghraib were small and localized. I'm not encouraging this type of behaviour but this a war and people are going to get out of hand. I am glad to see Brig Gen. Janis Karpinski found guilty and reprimanded. It serves to pull everyone back in line. As to her accusation of being used as a scapegoat, I would suggest that she has no one but herself to blame for her troubles. Posing for snapshots, with a big smile on her face, while she mistreated the prisoners, illustrates perfectly her personal involvement, enjoyment, and guilt.
Steve Mac, Boston, MA, USA

This enquiry follows the usual pattern seen in a cover up. A few low rankers are thrown to the dogs and everyone higher up is exonerated.
Richard Read, London, UK

I do draw a lot of encouragement from the evident shift of public opinion in the US Richard Leveson, Canada

I do draw a lot of encouragement from the evident shift of public opinion in the United States that you can see in the letters here. Despite having what I perceive as very biased mass-media, more and more Americans are expressing outraged disbelief in their present administration - realizing that it is neither un-patriotic nor un-Republican to oppose the continual whitewash that George Bush is trying perpetrate upon them.
Richard Leveson, Toronto, Canada

This government has no credibility and no shame. History will have a verdict and it will be a life sentence. And Bush will be on the indictment too.
Mark A Goldman, Vashon, WA USA

The rule of law and observance of the truth in United States has finally sunk to the level of a Third world dictatorship. What is so difficult to swallow is that it couldn't happen without complicity of the media and the general electorate. These kind of things will no doubt encourage the EU to solve their differences and marginalize the swaggering, lying brute across the pond.
John Wilson, Sturgeon Bay, USA

It would be naive to think that this was an isolated incident. Brutal interrogation techniques are constantly used in wars, when people forget that they are dealing with other human beings.
Nicole Pereira, Canada

Regardless of the world political climate; there is no cronyism in military courts. They are fair almost to a fault Gordon Silliker, Oceanside

As a member of the American military, I will say that American military courts are the most legally fair courts in existence. Courts martial process military justice with such an exact focus on the letter of the law, and with so little regard for emotion or pleas, that sometimes the verdicts arrived at are opposite of what you would think. In this instance, the whole world is expecting and would like to see the top brass to be put behind bars.

In a civilian court, that would be considered by the judge and counsellors, and definitely the jury. In a Court Martial, the verdict will almost always be so fair that it borders on not being so. Keep this in mind when you look at this verdict. If they found them not guilty, there was no evidence to back up the accusations, regardless of the world political climate; there is no cronyism in military courts. They are fair almost to a fault.
Gordon Silliker, Oceanside, CA, USA

There must be accountability. The ignorance excuse is no excuse.
Miguel Herrera, Modesto, California

Yes, there should be an independent investigation rather than the US doing its own Sana Ansari, Minnesota

We indeed live in difficult and disturbing times. It is crystal clear that unimaginable abuse took place in Abu Ghraib - one has to be blind not to see it. Yes, there should be an independent investigation rather than the US doing its own. Thanks to the US, we are moving back into the dark ages in the 21 century; instead of sowing the seeds of peace, seeds of hatred have been sown. I am sure that most in the military have not read the Geneva Conventions.

I am sure President Bush himself has not read it or even knows what it means. The double standard and hypocrisy of the US and it's official, the neoconservative stance have only made this world intolerant. US is shielding its wrongdoing and wrongdoers under the cloak of security and a new kind of war. Abuse has taken place; someone is guilty directly and by association. Those individuals should and must be held responsible for their actual and virtual actions.
Sana Ansari, Minnesota, USA

I doubt that an independent inquiry will find any additional information of a material nature. That being said, if you create an atmosphere in which prisoners are labelled as evil terrorists who are likely to be concealing information about their plots to blow up America, you can't be too surprised if the soldiers under your command fail to treat them as human beings. The question then becomes is Lt Gen Sanchez to blame or should responsibility rest higher up?
Jennifer Sydenham, Vancouver, Canada

I believe the top brass didn't know what was going on. Not that they would have stopped it. It's just from my dealings with the US military the top brass never know what's really going on because they can't be bothered to find out. They don't want to know.
Kevin, New Castle, NY, USA

The US leads the world in civil rights for prisoners. If these rights are violated, the violators are investigated and the guilty punished. Law enforcement, the courts, and various forms of punishment, taken together, are a huge industry in America. We're rich, like punishing the guilty and are willing to be taxed to fulfil our desires for punishment. Don't worry, wrongdoing that comes to light is investigated and the criminals are punished.
Richard Hicksq, Amarillo, Texas, USA

There's always something that follows the stage when a civilization gets corrupt and arrogant. It's called a revolution.
Mohammad, Ottawa, Canada

It doesn't matter what the US Army inspector general thinks. The world has already pronounced its verdict Tony, Canada

It doesn't matter what the US Army inspector general thinks. The world has already pronounced its verdict on US military abuses in Iraq: Guilty on all charges. And that goes from the soldiers involved right up to the president.
Tony, Canada

This is the culmination of an outrageous cover-up. The entire chain of command is guilty of encouraging torture and abuse. But as the majority of the US electorate seems to condone torture and illegal wars of aggression I suppose there is little that will be done to bring the guilty to book. By the way, is there an opposition party or any moral force in the US capable of pressing for greater accountability?
Robert, Rio de Janeiro

The administration and military officials set the tone by pushing the minimum standards of treatment to even lower levels. Then the backlash they created by rounding up and harshly treating many innocents along with the guilty caused many soldiers to increasingly demonize and dehumanize their prisoners and justify their harsh treatment even more. Hopefully any investigation will focus not only on who was responsible but also on how to create and maintain a responsible attitude in the ranks.
Greg Pressey, Tillsonburg, Canada

America likes the word liberty but liberty without justice is like a glass of water upside down Syed, Ontario, Canada

You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. America likes the word liberty but liberty without justice is like a glass of water upside down. Come on people, if America believes in justice it will demonstrate by joining the International Court. America wants to commit crimes all over the world that is why it refuses to join world justice system.
Syed, Ontario, Canada

Let's see now... who conducted the investigation? An independent, non-military-connected group? No? Oh! Unfortunately this echoes what is happening with a Bush administration that refuses to take blame or responsibility for anything negative, whether it be Abu Ghraib or failed intelligence leading to the war in Iraq. It is the poor dogs following orders who get sent to the pound while their handlers go free.
Claude Gruener, Austin, TX, USA

I think the liberals' hypocrisy has gone wild. Why is not there an outrage and calls for investigation into what was happening in Abu Ghraib under Saddam Hussein?
Sahid, Detroit, Michigan

What possible confidence could this verdict instil in the watching world? Already we have seen a US soldier found guilty of murder and sentenced to one year in jail (with a dishonourable discharge - wow, that must really hurt!)
Andrew James, Paris, France

Look at what happened during WWII and other wars since. This is simply what humanity is capable of. It's arrogant for Americans (or any other nation or group) to think we've somehow evolved beyond that. Not yet, at least.
Mike Wernick, Columbus, OH, USA

Sorry, but I do not buy the fact that the top knew nothing about this. I fully believe Brig Gen Janis Karpinski did not act alone... but hey, this is how it is always done in the US Army.
Jenna, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA

If the White House, Pentagon, and big brass didn't know what was going on, then they are totally incompetent. They not only knew, they ordered it.
Larry Stout, USA