When I learned about the American soldiers who tortured Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison, I felt sickened, disgusted, enraged, betrayed, and ashamed. Not only because it shows American soldiers as being no better than Saddam’s torturers, but because it shames the memory of all the American men and women who have died during this past year, believing they were in Iraq to liberate Iraqis, not to pick up where Saddam left off. How could this have happened? Under what sort of a value system were those soldiers operating that allowed them to think their actions were acceptable?

“What’s important, and we shouldn’t forget this, is that we stand for certain things here, and we have values. Our Army has got to reflect on the values of our nation,” said General Peter J. Schoomaker, Army Chief of Staff.

The Army has Seven Army Values, as it happens. The Army also has a Soldier’s Code:

I. I am an American soldier – a protector of the greatest nation on earth

– sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States. The 8th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment and it is the Constitution that makes us the “greatest nation on earth,” not our military might.

II. I will treat others with dignity and respect and expect others to do the same. How would these soldiers like to be treated now? If any of them spend time in military prison, don’t you think they should be forced to strip, wear a canvas bag over their heads, and have wires attached to their genitals?

III. I will honor my Country, the Army, my unit, and my fellow soldiers by living the Army Values. They have done nothing but bring shame to all of the above.

IV. No matter what situation I am in, I will never do anything for pleasure, profit, or personal safety which will disgrace my uniform, my unit, or my Country. Unless it involves forcing naked prisoners into pyramid formations so as to pose for a celebratory photograph.

V. Lastly, I am proud of my Country and its flag. I want to look back and say that I am proud to have served my Country as a soldier. How many other soldiers have also thrown out the Seven Army Values and Soldier’s Code and have chosen to replace it with a value system consistent with power hungry, gun-toting outlaws?

I was faced with a dilemma. How, in good conscience, could I continue running the advertisement that the U.S. Army has been placing in our newspaper [recruiting Arabic linguists]? I very seriously considered contacting the Army and pulling their ad, even though we have been running it for close to a year. I didn’t want to have anything to do with any institution that produced people who could behave in such an abhorrent way.

We were opposed to this war from the beginning. Too many innocent civilian lives would be lost. We feared the Americans would get in over their heads due to their inability to understand Iraqi culture. But we felt a moral obligation to support our troops. We introduced the community to representatives of the U.S. Army by conducting an interview with Lt. Colonel Gillette, the man in charge of the Arabic language program. The outreach effort made through ARAMICA caused so many people to sign up for the program that it exceeded their quota.

We did this to support the troops and to encourage Arab Americans to become a part of the system; we believed that having more Arab Americans in the Armed Forces would help reverse the stereotypical image held of Arabs and Arab Americans by educating members of the Armed Forces about Arabic cultures and customs. Ultimately, the hope was to help reduce the possibility that any Arab would be subjected to what many Iraqis have experienced since the

Americans invaded Iraq.

Over and over we have heard how the soldiers’ lack of understanding regarding Iraqi culture created tension and caused numerous unnecessary confrontations, which could have been avoided had the soldiers known how to treat the Iraqis. What would the situation in Iraq be like today had the soldiers been more educated on Iraqi culture?

How many American soldiers regret not being able to rectify this situation? How

valuable would the contributions of Arab American interpreters have been in this respect? I do not believe the army condones this sort of behavior. Yet I have to

question why those involved have, thus far, been only “reprimanded” and “admonished.” Yes, a reprimand or an admonishment can hurt someone’s career, but that’s just not enough. Why aren’t they all facing criminal charges, as the MPs are? Why haven’t they all been suspended while the investigation is active?

I believe that the great majority of our soldiers take the Seven Values and the Soldier’s Code seriously and that they are as disgusted by these events as I am. I believe that, more than ever, there is a need in the Armed Forces for Arab Americans linguists, soldiers and officers. I also believe that even one soldier who does not practice the values espoused by the army is one too many. These men and women represent the United States, our “way of life,” our system of government, all that we cherish. One soldier on a power trip is enough to turn a frightened person into a hostile and bitter one, enough to make anyone question the benefits of American “democracy.”