You Call This Nation Building?

Sickening images of American troops abusing Iraqi prisoners have swept the world over the last two weeks, giving the country pause as the United States barely holds its nation-building effort together. A week ago, too, after months of concealing the full story, the Pentagon showed Congress over 1,600 additional photographs of atrocities at Abu Ghraib. It is becoming clear that this developing scandal is not a matter of a few “bad apples,” but rather the fault of this entire executive branch. For these horrific acts and the cover-up that followed, we echo the call of others and ask Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to resign.

The prisoner abuse, in addition to its intrinsic evil, has further tarnished the image of America worldwide, particularly in the Middle East. Already, pundits across the world are comparing Abu Ghraib to My Lai, the infamous massacre of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. forces in 1968. This damage may become irreparable unless decisive action is taken immediately. The nation must dissociate itself from those who allowed the torture and death of detainees to take place under their watch, and Americans must prove that they are serious when they say that such practices are not “the true face of America.”

American troops and civilians have been directly endangered by the growing furor over the abuse. Abu Ghraib, long a symbol of repression for Iraqis, has now provided further fuel for the resistance’s fire in Iraq. Reprisals are already being carried out: The horrific decapitation of U.S. civilian contractor Nicolas Berg may be a warning sign of what is to come.

What’s more, the Bush administration’s rhetoric on fighting for democracy in Iraq is increasingly hollow. As Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., put it, “We’re trying to win the hearts and minds as we’re killing them and torturing them.” If we want to assist in the growth of democracy and openness, then our own government needs to be democratic and open itself.

And this administration needs to learn that democracy doesn’t mix with a policy of secrecy. Secretary Rumsfeld withheld information from Congress and the American public and attempted to obstruct CBS from releasing the evidence in the first place. If Rumsfeld had his way, would the atrocities have ever come to light? Would those responsible ever be brought to justice? The whole world is now asking what else might be going on behind the gates of American detention centers.

Pfc. Lyndie England, the most prominent face of the abuse scandal, claims, “I was instructed by persons in higher rank to ‘stand there, hold this leash, look at the camera.’” Maj. Gen. Antonio Taquba, who led the initial investigation into the abuses, has spoken of an overall “failure of leadership.” In the military, the chain of command goes all the way to the top. A scandal of this magnitude leads to the secretary of defense, and ultimately to the commander-in-chief as well.

Secretary Rumsfeld and President Bush must therefore accept part of the responsibility for what transpired at Abu Ghraib and for the Pentagon’s efforts to hide it from public view. Voters should hold Bush accountable in November. And in the meantime, for the good of America, its troops and its citizens, Rumsfeld should look for a different line of work.