The Senate Armed Services Committee Report on the Treatment of Detainees made several specifications concerning the maltreatment at Abu Grhaib. It tied in several factors that subsequently contributed to the actions made by the U.S. soldiers.
Sequentially, one of the first factors that was addressed was President Bush's decision to not abide by the guidelines of the Geneva Convention. If our soldiers had been required to follow the Geneva Convention's guidelines, the inhumane treatment may have been less severe. Although the guidelines are decidedly vague and easily misconstrued, abiding by the guidelines would have been more appropriate than not.
The report also addressed the perspective of terrorists of al Qaeda and the Taliban. These terrorists are trained and passionate in the belief that the United States is an immediate threat to Islam. The abuse, torment, and torture inflicted by the U.S. soldiers has only added fuel to that fire.
With an intention of convincing U.S. soldiers to resist capture during wartime, soldiers are introduced to SERE tactics. These tactics, consisting of several physically and psychologically stressful strategies, were never meant nor should they had been approved to be used by U.S. soldiers. It was found that soldiers were ordered to use those tactics by senior officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, who now deny any wrong-doing.
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