Abstract
The soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison showed little mercy when torturing Iraqi prisoners. Testimonies and interviews by soldiers and victims reveal that what the world saw at Abu Ghraib was preceded by actions that normalized torture in American culture and constructed a demonized Arab "other." Why did the military personnel and contractors do what they did? Explanations based on Milgram's shock experiments, the Stanford prison experiment, and the culpability of senior personnel are considered. While the soldiers were accountable for their actions, it is concluded that they may have been overwhelmed by a sense that torture was acceptable and their victims were superfluous demons.