Abu Ghraib in Media
by The Abu Ghraib prison scandal has drawn the attention of mass media to the violence and the use of tortures in prisons, especially in Abu Ghraib. In this respect, the creation of the documentary film “Standard Operating Procedure” can be viewed as a natural response to the violation of human rights and tortures in the Abu Ghraib prison. In actuality, the documentary film reveals tortures and misuse of power by American soldiers in the prison.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that tortures and violence had become an essential part of the functioning of the Abu Ghraib prison. However, they were used in the prison not to establish a severe discipline but simply because Americans believed that such methods could help them to get information they needed and to keep prisoners obedient. Such obedience apparently has nothing in common with the concept of discipline developed by Foucault. In fact, tortures and violence breed fear and obedience, but prisoners cannot be disciplined if they do not understand clearly the system, rules and principles, in accordance to which the prison functions. Obviously, Americans failed to establish discipline grounded on such an approach to prisoners. Instead, they used the way which they believed to be the most efficient in the current environment.
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