The maltreatment and exploitation of Iraqi civilians or terrorist suspects by U.S. troops is not just confined to some bad guys at Abu Ghraib and a few other detention centers but instead is more extensive. Impacts of over-stretched ‘war on terror’ have begun to show on the psyches as well as behavior of American soldiers deployed in the troubled region.
An official survey conducted in Iraq last fall over 1,767 American troops point towards the ominous signs for the war-hit civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. Following are some of the gloomy facts of the survey.
• Above one-third of the US soldiers in Iraq believe torture should be allowed if it helps gather important information about insurgents.
• Four in 10 approve any such illegal abuse if it would save the life of a fellow soldier.
• Around two-thirds of Marines and half the Army troops would not report a team member for mistreating a civilian or for destroying civilian property unnecessarily.
• Only below half of Soldiers and Marines believed that non-combatants should be treated with dignity and respect.
• About 10 percent troops said that they had mistreated civilians in Iraq, like kicking them without any reason or damaging their belongings.
• Above 40 percent of soldiers reported low morale in their units.
The report clearly reveals that the soldiers’ psyche and behaviors are contrary to the military rules laid down by the Army, which strictly prohibit the unjust torture of war detainees. Steven R. Shapiro, national legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union, held insufficient supervision responsible for the worrying conduct of the soldiers.
These are distressing results. They highlight a failure to adequately train and supervise our soldiers.
In the history of American military, soldiers or marines have never been required to serve on any war front for a period of above half a year. With their extended tours, 15 months from 12 months, soldiers are more likely to suffer mental health problems, including combat trauma, anxiety and depression.
The stretched war is constantly deteriorating the mental health of soldiers at war fronts and has posed several moral or ethical questions that need some serious and immediate consideration, before they drift into a complete mental vacuum.
