1000 Americans Dead Because of US Torture Program Posted on 13 February 2015 at 11:03 Baghdad, Iraq – The release of the “torture report” in the United States has sparked discussion, outrage, and a reexamination of the events in Iraq. Now, once seemingly unrelated stories regarding the events that took place during the first years of the war have been linked together. These stories play a crucial role in understanding the effects of the US torture program. The stories of Jessica Lynch, Nick Berg, Abu Ghraib prison, a crashed Apache helicopter, and several other incidents all aid in understanding how the US torture program shaped some of the most memorable events of the Iraq War. The event that brings all of the pieces of the puzzle together is a significantly lesser known event: a jail break. Starting on November 5, 2003 and continuing over the next three days a series of detainees escaped Abu Ghraib prison. Nine detainees escaped from different parts of the prison, including “the hard site,” in a matter of days. A small number of prisoners escaping a prisoner of war (POW) camp would normally be a footnote in the history of a war. However, when those prisoners escaped from a facility that military intelligence was using to detain “high-value” prisoners who were being subjected to treatment far outside the norms, the escape takes on a new level of importance. Prior to November of 2003, there were no beheadings in Iraq. Quite the opposite, the US was able to recover most captured POWs alive, including Jessica Lynch and the pilots of a downed Apache. Most were at hospitals and had been treated for their wounds, Lynch wasn’t even being guarded. In fact, records indicate that only one American POW was executed prior to this date. He was severely wounded prior to capture and some have speculated that his execution was a “mercy killing.” His remains were even left in a location that allowed them to be returned to American forces. However following the escape of the detainees, beheadings began.
