DISCUSSION 2:  ABU GHRAIB, POLITICS, AN

DISCUSSION 2:  ABU GHRAIB, POLITICS, AND DEVIANCE THEORY

GOAL:  For participants to apply the Sociological concepts of deviance and power in the analysis of what happened at Abu Ghraib. Knowledge of this material will be demonstrated in the completion of this assignment.

TASKS:

Before completing this assignment, please be advised that this content describes some disturbing behaviour.  It was, in fact, this behaviour that created the international response when it became known.

· Please read the Deviance chapter in the text and review the PowerPoints.  Please also be sure to research Sykes and Matza’s Techniques of Neutralization.

· Please review this timeline by CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/30/world/meast/iraq-prison-abuse-scandal-fast-facts/

· Research what happened at Abu Ghraib during the 2003-2004 that resulted in an international scandal.  Please find answers to the following:

Q.1. What are “enhanced interrogation techniques” and how did the United States personnel come to use them?

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Investigation/story?id=1322866

Q. 2 What happened to the definition of “torture” as described in the following link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/torture/themes/redefining.html

· Please review the following link “Excerpts from the Geneva Conventions relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War” (Frontline)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/torture/hand1.html

Q. 3 What is the difference between the terms “prisoners of war”, “lawful enemy combatants”, and “unlawful enemy combatants” with regard to the application of the Geneva Conventions?  Al-Qaida and the Taliban are considered to be in which category? (NOTE: As an update-where would those fighting for ISIS fit?)  Use the following link for information:

http://usiraq.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000934

· This is an interesting update and was reported by NPR in 2015:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/03/21/394484603/judge-rules-for-the-release-of-photos-showing-prisoner-abuse

NOTE:  If any of the above links do not work, please copy and paste them into your browser.

NOTE:  The above content is the source material to apply to the topic in Task #4 below.  As such, you do not have to post your responses to all of the questions above.

Q. 4 For this discussion, please write a response to the following prompts:

Based on the above content, would what the U.S. personnel did at Abu Ghraib be considered deviant?  Why or why not?  Use THREE points from the source content (including the various theories of deviance) contained in the above links to support your points.

This is an additional link to add to this discussion:

https://cnx.org/contents/AgQDEnLI@9.4:GveClPvr@2/Power-and-Authority

Q. 5. How does power factor into the history of Abu Ghraib?

BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR ANSWERS AND USE APA IN-TEXT CITATIONS TO CREDIT YOUR SOURCES.  Please remember, a grade of “0” will be earned for plagiarism.

Please be sure to use 2-4 clear, concise, and complete sentences per prompt when responding to this discussion.