Abu Ghraib : Reflections In The Looking Glass

Michael Cannon takes the reader through a forensic analysis of the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. He gives America an opportunity to explore her own soul through the drama of the 800th MP Brigade that played so prominently in the news throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom. Cannon draws from investigative reports and the experience of the Brigade chaplain to explain the character of the 800th MP Brigade, the media coverage, the interpersonal conflicts, and the leadership crisis. They will all be laid on the reader’s examination table. Like exhibits presented in a trial, the reader will weigh each dimension of the American tragedy at Abu Ghraib and develop a more empathetic and holistic understanding of what happened and why. This book recasts the image of the 800th MP Brigade from a national tragedy to a prophetic symbol of America’s moral crisis. It demonstrates that the soldiers of the 800th are no different than any other American. It also proves that Americans have been misled, not by mysterious figures in Washington, but by our own criteria for understanding the world in which we live.