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Fallgirls: Gender and the Framing of Torture at Abu Ghraib

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Fallgirls: Gender and the Framing of Torture at Abu Ghraib FALLGIRLS Classical and Contemporary Social Theory Series Editor: Stjepan G. Mestrovic, Texas A&M University, USA Classical and Contemporary Social Theory publishes rigorous scholarly work that re-discovers the relevance of social theory for contemporary times, demonstrating the enduring importance of theory for modern social issues. The series covers social theory in a broad sense, inviting contributions on both ‘classical’ and PRGHUQWKHRU\WKXVHQFRPSDVVLQJVRFLRORJ\ZLWKRXWEHLQJFRQ¿QHGWRDVLQJOH discipline. As such, work from across the social sciences is welcome, provided WKDWYROXPHVDGGUHVVWKHVRFLDOFRQWH[WRISDUWLFXODULVVXHVVXEMHFWVRU¿JXUHV and offer new understandings of social reality and the contribution of a theorist or VFKRROWRRXUXQGHUVWDQGLQJRILW7KHVHULHVFRQVLGHUVVLJQL¿FDQWQHZDSSUDLVDOV of established thinkers or schools, comparative works or contributions that discuss DSDUWLFXODUVRFLDOLVVXHRUSKHQRPHQRQLQUHODWLRQWRWKHZRUNRIVSHFL¿FWKHRULVWV or theoretical approaches. Contributions are welcome that assess broad strands of thought within certain schools or across the work of a number of thinkers, but always with an eye toward contributing to contemporary understandings of social issues and contexts. Fallgirls Gender and the Framing of Torture at Abu Ghraib RYAN ASHLEY CALDWELL Soka University of America, USA First published 2012 by Ashgate Publishing Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2012 Ryan Ashley Caldwell Ryan Ashley Caldwell has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be LGHQWL¿HGDVWKHDXWKRURIWKLVZRUN TheAll rightsOpen reAccessserved. version No part of of this this book, book available may be reprintedat www.taylorfrancis.com, or reproduced or utilised has been in madeany availableform or by under any electronic,a Creative mechanical,Commons Attribution-Non or other means, Commercial-No now known or hereafter Derivatives invented, 4.0 license. including photocopying and recording or in any information storage or retrieval system Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Caldwell, Ryan Ashley. Fallgirls : gender and the framing of torture at Abu Ghraib. 1. Abu Ghraib Prison. 2. Prisoners of war--Abuse of-- Iraq. 3. Iraq War, 2003- --Prisoners and prisons, American. 4. Iraq War, 2003- --Participation, Female. 5. United States--Armed Forces--Women. 6. Trials (Military offenses)--United States. 7. Courts martial and courts inquiry--United States. 8. England, Lynndie-- Trials, litigation, etc. 9. Harman, Sabrina--Trials, litigation, etc. 10. Women soldiers in mass media. 11. Torture in mass media. I. Title 956.7'04431-dc23 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Caldwell, Ryan Ashley. Fallgirls : gender and the framing of torture at Abu Ghraib / by Ryan Ashley Caldwell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4094-2969-2 (hbk) 1. Abu Ghraib Prison. 2. Prisoners of war--Abuse of--Iraq. 3. Iraq War, 2003--Psychological aspects. 4. Torture--Iraq. 5. Women and war--United States. 6. Control (Psychology) 7. Women in war. 8. Feminist theory. I. Title. DS79.76.C346 2011 956.7044'37--dc23 2011040756 ISBN 9781409429692 (hbk) Fall.girl (noun . slang) 1. A fallgirl is a person of feminine gender who is used as a scapegoat or easy victim to take the blame for someone else’s actions. 2. An individual said to “take the fall” in terms of responsibility for another’s exploits. For my mother. And, in loving memory of Joseph Morton Ransdell and Stuart Jay Hysom. I truly miss you both. Contents List of Figures ix List of Abbreviations xi /LVWRI6LJQL¿FDQW3HUVRQQHO [LLL 6HULHV(GLWRU¶V3UHIDFH [Y 3UHIDFH [L[ Prologue: So What Really Happened at Abu Ghraib? 1 Defense Counsel’s Opening Statements 23 1 It was not Lucifer Achieved: Zimbardo, Women, and Abu Ghraib 31 Testimony of Captain Donald J. Reese, U.S. Army, Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial 49 2 Abu Ghraib and the “Rationalization” of Rationality: Uses of the Masculine and Feminine Symbolic Narrative 57 Testimony of Major David DiNenna, U.S. Army, Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial 81 3 The Abuse was Reported: Parsonian Gender Roles and Abu Ghraib 7UDQV¿JXUDWLRQV Evidence: Sabrina Harman’s Letter to Kelly Bryant, Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial 111 7KH6LJQL¿FDQFHRI,GHQWLW\6LPXODFUDDQG*HQGHU+\SHUUHDOLW\ American Military and the Case of Abu Ghraib 113 Testimony of Stjepan G. Mestrovic, Expert Witness in Sociology, Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial 133 5 The Fallgirls of Abu Ghraib: Feminist Analyses and the Importance of Context 145 viii Fallgirls 6 Conversations with Sabrina Harman, Summer 2007 169 Closing Statement of the Defense Counsel, Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial, Captain Patsy Takemura, May 17, 2005, Fort Hood, Texas 181 Sworn Statements 187 Bibliography 199 Index 209 List of Figures P.1 Abu Ghraib Prison 3 P.2 Abu Ghraib prison cell 5 2.1 The outside of Abu Ghraib at night with lights 63 2.2 Detainee nicknamed “The Claw” 73 3.1 Harman giving stitches and providing instrumental care 108 )HPDOHVROGLHULQ,UDTZLWKELNLQLDQGULÀH 4.2 Harman tattoo, “rotten apple 6” 130 *UDI¿WLLQ,UDT 5.2 Harman with Iraqi family 148 5.3 Children in Iraq 148 5.4 Harman with women and children 149 5.5 “Sabrina! Sabrina!” 150 5.6 Harman and Iraqi female friend 151 5.7 “Maternal Sabrina” 152 5.8 Military Intelligence Interrogation Shed, Abu Ghraib, Iraq 160 6.1 Harman with family 172 6.2 Harman with family and children 173 6.3 Children in Iraq 174 6.4 Harman and some of her friends in Iraq 179 List of Abbreviations ACLU American Civil Liberties Union BIAP/BIOP Baghdad International Airport CIA Central Intelligence Agency CID Criminal Investigative Division CJTF-7 Combined Joint Task Force-7 CPA Coalition Provisional Authority DADT “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” DFAC Dining Facility EPW Enemy Prisoner of War FM Field Manual Gitmo Guantanamo Bay, Cuba HMMWV Humvee motor vehicle ,&2 ,UDTL&RUUHFWLRQDO2I¿FHUV ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross ICRP Theater Interrogation and Counter-Resistance Policies IR Internment Resettlement JAG Judge Advocate General MEDVAC Medical Evacuation MI Military Intelligence MKTS Military Knowledge and Testing Standard MP Military Police MPI Military Police Investigator MRE Meal Ready-to-Eat 1&2 1RQ&RPPLVVLRQHG2I¿FHU OGA Other Governmental Agencies 2,& 2I¿FHULQ&KDUJH PSD Personal Security Detail PT Physical Training PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ROT Record of Trial SHA32 Sabrina Harman Article 32 Hearing, Camp Victory Base, Iraq SHCM Sabrina Harman Courts-Martial, Fort Hood, TX UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice /LVWRI6LJQL¿FDQW3HUVRQQHO “Rotten Apples” from the Military Police &RUSRUDO&KDUOHV*UDQHUQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU1&2RIQLJKW shift for 1A (10 years in prison, released after six and a half years on August 6, 2011). 3ULYDWH,YDQ/)UHGHULFNQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU1&2,&IRU night shift at the hard site (eight years prison, released October 2007). 6SHFLDOLVW-HUHP\6LYLWVQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU RQH\HDUSULVRQ 6SHFLDOLVW6DEULQD+DUPDQQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU WKUHHPRQWKV prison). Private First Class Lynndie England (three years prison). 6HUJHDQW-DYDO'DYLVQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU VL[PRQWKVSULVRQ 6SHFLDOLVW0HJKDQ$PEXKOQG030LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU GLVFKDUJHG “Rotten Apples” from the Military Intelligence Specialist Armin Cruz, 325th Military Intelligence Battalion (sentenced to one year). Specialist Roman Krol, 325th Military Intelligence Battalion (sentenced to 10 months). Whistleblowers Sergeant Ken Davis, 372nd Military Police Company. Specialist Joseph Darby, 372nd Military Police. Commanders at Abu Ghraib and in Iraq Captain Donald J. Reese, Company Commander at Abu Ghraib, 372nd MP. 0DMRU'DYLG'L1HQQD6XSSO\2I¿FHUDQGLQFKDUJHRISULVRQHURSHUDWLRQV at Abu Ghraib. Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, the General who was Commander of all military units in Iraq. Major General Barbara Fast, in charge of Military Intelligence in Iraq. xiv Fallgirls Major General Geoffrey Miller, the General who was Commander of Guantanamo and who came to Abu Ghraib in order to “Gitmoize” the prison in the fall of 2003. Colonel Thomas Pappas, Brigadier Commander, one of the disputed Commanders at Abu Ghraib. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Jordan, one of the disputed Commanders at Abu Ghraib. Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Phillabaum, one of the disputed Commanders at Abu Ghraib. &DSWDLQ&DURO\Q:RRGRQHRIWKH,QWHOOLJHQFH2I¿FHUVDW$EX*KUDLEZKR came from Afghanistan. Colonel (former Brigadier General) Janis Karpinski, in charge of all of the prisons in Iraq. Other Military Police and Military Intelligence at Abu Ghraib Staff Sergeant Ivan L. Frederick, 372nd Military Police, Senior NCO night VKLIWDW$EX*KUDLE WHVWL¿HGDJDLQVWRWKHUVIRUWKHSURVHFXWLRQ 6SHFLDOLVW0DWWKHZ.:LVGRPQG0LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU Sergeant Robert F. Jones, 372nd Military Police (Wisdom’s Immediate superior). Specialist Israel Rivera, 325th Military Intelligence Battalion (testimony in exchange for immunity). 0DVWHU6HUJHDQW%U\DQ/LSLQVNLQG0LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHU 6HUJHDQW+\GUXH-R\QHUQG0LOLWDU\3ROLFH2I¿FHULQFKDUJHRIWKHGD\ shift at Abu Ghraib. Series Editor’s Preface Most people think they know all that there is to know about the Abu Ghraib torture scandal: the “bad apples” (referring to a handful of allegedly corrupt soldiers) allegedly
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