Abu Ghraib

Located approximately 20 miles west of Baghdad, Abu Ghraib (also known as Abu Gharib and Abu Ghurayb) has been used by the U.S. military to detain civilians picked up at check points and in military sweeps, common criminals, individuals suspected of "crimes against coalition forces," and "high value" individuals who were thoughts to be leaders of the insurgency.

A report conducted by Maj. Gen Antonio Taguba and commissioned by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the senior commander of armed forces in Iraq at the time, found that between October and December of 2003 there were numerous instances of "sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses" at Abu Ghraib. The Taguba report, which was never meant to be released publicly, was first reported on by the New Yorker magazine and 60 minutes II in April of 2004.

Since the release of the Taguba report, a series of government and non-governmental reports, make clear that the extraordinary abuse of detainees was not limited to Abu Ghraib, but was part of a pattern of abuse that took place at a number of U.S.-run detention facilities. To date, the Administration has resisted calls to appoint an independent, comprehensive investigative commission to examine the root causes of these wide-spread abuses and to make recommendations to limit further abuse and torture in U.S. detention camps.

The Taguba Report (3/9/04) (PDF-223KB)

Statement of Human Rights First Following 60 Minutes II Report (5/5/04)

Commentary by Michael Posner and Kerry Kennedy Cuomo (5/15/04)

HRF Calls for Comprehensive Hearings (6/8/04)

Commentary: Understanding What Led to Torture in Interrogations (PDF-28KB)

Army IG Report (7/21/04) (PDF-2.3MB)

Fay/Jones Report (8/23/04) (PDF-911KB)

More Involved in Abuse than Previously Reported (HRF Press Release on Fay/Jones 8/25/04)

Schlesinger Report (8/04) (PDF-5.8MB)

Schlesinger Panel Leaves Much Unanswered (HRF Press Release 8/25/04)

HRF Report Details Failings of Pentagon Investigations into Abuse (9/04)
(PDF-401KB)

HRF Press Release (9/7/04)

Retired Military Officers Call for Comprehensive Investigation into Abuses (9/7/04) (PDF-27KB)

International Committee of the Red Cross Report (Feb. 2004) (PDF-1.3MB)