"America is the friend of all Iraqi people." This was the sign put up at Abu Ghraib prison—one that replaced Saddam's portrait when the US took it over as part of the war on terror. 

It was Abu Ghraib prison that introduced the world to the violent infrastructure of torture in the war on terror. In 2004, when photos emerged documenting extensive torture ranging from prisoners on leashes to bodies piled atop each other in pyramid structure to prisoners standing in crucifixion like postures, there were global shockwaves at the displays of brutality. 

The prison, which was the site of massive torture, also housed a largely innocent population—approximately 70-90 percent of the prisoners were mistakenly detained, according to the Red Cross in a 2004 report (pdf).

With no end to the war on terror, the legacy of Abu Ghraib prison remains as important as ever, especially where a lack of accountability continues to permeate all operations in Iraq. 

Read the full piece here.