Prison Case study

Prison Case Study
Student‘s Name
Institution
Prison Case Study: Abu Ghraib
The issue of accountability and responsibility can define the different level of involvement from the generals to people holding highest-level offices. Peter and Pierre define accountability as the association between answerability and responsiveness (Peters & Pierre, 339). On the other hand, responsibility involves discussions on moral conflicts and matters of life and death. The researchers continue to argue that objective responsibility is accountability that requires answers that includes formal procedures that officials have to use to be answerable. Subjective responsibility deals with the moral perspective of an action. Therefore, from the definition, accountability is an element of responsibility that also requires a person to be answerable for his/her actions/decisions. In this case, of Abu Ghraib Prison, the rank-and-file military officers were entangled in the issues, and the officers had to pay the price for their roles. They were accountable for failing to follow the expected prescribed regulations and irresponsible, as they were complicit in immoral actions against the prisoners. The seven guards complicit in the case did not follow the necessary Army procedure. According to the families of the implicated officers, high-ranking military officers made instruction. However, Charter of the Nuremberg Tribunal, the possible defense by blaming superior orders is not considered as a defense for war crimes.

Even though the Department of Defense under the Bush administration argued that the guards were just “a few bad apples,” in the force, there links that signified the soldiers’ actions were instructed from the top. The cause of chaos in prison was systemic because the actions followed the visit by Major General Geoffrey Miller. The Secretary Donald Rumsfeld endorsed the visit by the MG, and it was alleged that the administration was responsible for sanctioning the torture techniques for terrorists. The administration was also responsible for creating grey areas that the methods could be applied without legal or procedural consequences at the time.
From the incident, there were people such as Major General Taguba who were not supporting the actions of the officers but did not act at the time. I think that they feared being dismissed, as it seemed like the administration endorsed the torture techniques against the terrorists. It was evident when the whole thing blew up, and a good number of people displaced were the people who were critical of the administration and helped in exposing the abuse. However, the administration rewarded those who supported the country’s policies in the war against terror even after the exposure of the Abu Ghraib events. For example, General Miller got promotion and was served with Distinguished Services Medal at Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes and later made a commander of BCCF. On the other hand, Major General Taguba who criticized the U.S Army and conducted the investigation was forced into retirement. Even though some leaders like Secretary Rumsfeld knew what was going on, they denied knowledge because I think it was under their instructions. Therefore, the officers serving under the Secretary had to follow procedure. Thus, the results and actions of the administration give reasons why people who did not support the activities had to go along with them.
From Abu Ghraib’s case, one lesson that can be learned is that the goal of accountability should be to prevent the potential abuse of power, mainly political. Accountability should ensure constitutional use of political power through the implementation of policies. The administration in power should have been more accountable to the actions of the officers. It is better to admit a mistake and take responsibility.
References
Peters, B.G. & Pierre, J. (2007). The Handbook of Public Administration. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage Pblications Inc.
Donald Rumsfeld and Prisoner Abuse at Abu Ghraib. (2004). Retrieved February 24, 2018, from
the Electronic Hallway:
http://www.hallway.org