A Matter of Honor Wednesday, September 28, 2005; A21 The following letter was sent to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Sept. 16: Dear Senator McCain: I am a graduate of West Point currently serving as a Captain in the U.S. Army Infantry. I have served two combat tours with the 82nd Airborne Division, one each in Afghanistan and Iraq. While I served in the Global War on Terror, the actions and statements of my leadership led me to believe that United States policy did not require application of the Geneva Conventions in Afghanistan or Iraq. On 7 May 2004, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's testimony that the United States followed the Geneva Conventions in Iraq and the "spirit" of the Geneva Conventions in Afghanistan prompted me to begin an approach for clarification. For 17 months, I tried to determine what specific standards governed the treatment of detainees by consulting my chain of command through battalion commander, multiple JAG lawyers, multiple Democrat and Republican Congressmen and their aides, the Ft. Bragg Inspector General's office, multiple government reports, the Secretary of the Army and multiple general officers, a professional interrogator at Guantanamo Bay, the deputy head of the department at West Point responsible for teaching Just War Theory and Law of Land Warfare, and numerous peers who I regard as honorable and intelligent men. Instead of resolving my concerns, the approach for clarification process leaves me deeply troubled. Despite my efforts, I have been unable to get clear, consistent answers from my leadership about what constitutes lawful and humane treatment of detainees. I am certain that this confusion contributed to a wide range of abuses including death threats, beatings, broken bones, murder, exposure to elements, extreme forced physical exertion, hostage-taking, stripping, sleep deprivation and degrading treatment. I and troops under my command witnessed some of these abuses in both Afghanistan and Iraq. This is a tragedy. I can remember, as a cadet at West Point, resolving to ensure that my men would never commit a dishonorable act; that I would protect them from that type of burden. It absolutely breaks my heart that I have failed some of them in this regard. That is in the past and there is nothing we can do about it now. But, we can learn from our mistakes and ensure that this does not happen again. Take a major step in that direction; eliminate the confusion. My approach for clarification provides clear evidence that confusion over standards was a major contributor to the prisoner abuse. We owe our soldiers better than this. Give them a clear standard that is in accordance with the bedrock principles of our nation. Some do not see the need for this work. Some argue that since our actions are not as horrifying as Al Qaeda's, we should not be concerned. When did Al Qaeda become any type of standard by which we measure the morality of the United States? We are America, and our actions should be held to a higher standard, the ideals expressed in documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Others argue that clear standards will limit the President's ability to wage the War on Terror. Since clear standards only limit interrogation techniques, it is reasonable for me to assume that supporters of this argument desire to use coercion to acquire information from detainees. This is morally inconsistent with the Constitution and justice in war. It is unacceptable. Both of these arguments stem from the larger question, the most important question that this generation will answer. Do we sacrifice our ideals in order to preserve security? Terrorism inspires fear and suppresses ideals like freedom and individual rights. Overcoming the fear posed by terrorist threats is a tremendous test of our courage. Will we confront danger and adversity in order to preserve our ideals, or will our courage and commitment to individual rights wither at the prospect of sacrifice? My response is simple. If we abandon our ideals in the face of adversity and aggression, then those ideals were never really in our possession. I would rather die fighting than give up even the smallest part of the idea that is "America." Once again, I strongly urge you to do justice to your men and women in uniform. Give them clear standards of conduct that reflect the ideals they risk their lives for. With the Utmost Respect, -- Capt. Ian Fishback 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092701527_pf.html
Wow, great read,thanks for the post. It really is amazing the way people's behavior can change so drastically when they're put in the situations we find ourselves in over in Afghanistan and Iraq. How many of these troops would have believed that they would engage in torture before shipping out? I doubt many of them believed they were capable of such acts while they were in training. If you're looking for an interesting read on the subject, Jonothan Glover's "Humanity: A Moral History of the Twentieth Century" is an AMAZING read. I would say it's one of the most important books of the last 5 years.http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0300087152/qid=1127923489/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-6089062-4412716?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
Thank you for that great post. It is refreshing to read this. We have a few people on this board who regularly defend torture. I wonder if their position on the matter has changed, hasn't changed, could change, will never change, etc.
A sobering read for those who think "any price" is worth paying during this "war on terror." Kudos to Captain Ian Fishback. You make me proud, knowing that officers like you serve our country. Simply sending that letter to Senator McCain, who truly understands the value of the adherence to the Geneva Convention, and the price paid by POW's suffering under the brutality of countries that don't, was both the right and honorable thing to do, and an act of courage itself, considering the threat such an act may have on his career. Thanks for the post, gifford. Keep D&D Civil!!
Honestly this soldier did do a brave thing, and I would like to see him rewarded. I would also like to see the soldier at Abu Ghraib who turned in the others rewarded for his brave act and sticking to the proper regulations in the face of others. Support the troops.
I really find it surprising that McCain, as a former victim of torture, hasn't been a little more vocal about the way the War on Terror is being waged. But, I can understand how difficult it would be to enforce rigorous standards over such a broad and decentralized operation. Well, hopefully this letter can serve as sort of a Sheehan-like focus point for discussion and political pressure.
This article touches on what I believe is THE most important question we must ask ourselves: Do we REALLY believe in our 'way of life' and ideals enough to resist the fundamental changes in our way of life that could result from terrorism (paralleled with the insatiable appetite for all governments to continue to grow in power and increasingly control all aspects of our lives)?
Absolutely, when it came down to it, many expose their moral cowardice. Anyone can claim to stand for ideals when times are good. That isn't difficult at all. In fact is harder to claim that people don't stand for ideals when times are good. But now that it comes down to put belief in those ideals into practice we see a number of people who are willing to toss those values and ideals away for what they believe is additional security.
Moral Cowardice = Patriotism IMO Great example: All the armchair warmongers in here who lamblast the war-opposers as "traitors" yet wholeheartedly support the PATRIOT act.
