Operation Iraqi Freedom: The Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal and Its Impact in the War on Terror

Did the failure of the U.S. Military in the application of operational art planning and command and control C2 result in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal This paper contends that it did and if the U.S. Central Command CENTCOM had designed an effective C2 structure for detainee operations before hostilities in Iraq began, the Abu Ghraib scandal would not have occurred. The dysfunction at Abu Ghraib was initially exposed in late January 2004 and created overwhelming animosity toward U.S. policy and the U.S. military. Specifically, the handling and treatment of prisoners within the Abu Ghraib facility from October 2003-January 2004 provided bizarre visions of sadistic abuse at the hands of U.S. military personnel. Conclusions will be discussed, as well as probable causes for failure in operational planning and C2. In addition, recommendations are offered that may prevent or reduce such detainee operational failures in the future.