Is it feasible for a single photograph to transform the world? The images captured by soldiers inside the Abu Ghraib prison not only shifted the course of the Iraq War but also altered America’s self-perception. Nonetheless, a significant mystery lingers: Do these infamous Abu Ghraib images serve as proof of systematic abuse perpetrated by the American military, or do they merely reflect the misconduct of a few individuals?

Our journey took us deep into the backdrop of these startling photographs. Why were they taken in the first place? What chaos lay beyond the edges of the frames? We engaged in conversations with the soldiers who took these haunting pictures as well as those who found themselves in them. Who are these individuals? What thoughts and feelings did they harbor? Over a rigorous two-year period, we gathered a staggering million and a half words of transcript from our interviews, alongside thousands of pages of unredacted documents, and hundreds of striking photographs. The narrative surrounding Abu Ghraib remains clouded with moral uncertainty; nonetheless, the events that transpired there remain chillingly clear.

The played-out saga of the Abu Ghraib photographs represents both a revelation and a concealment. They act as an expose, granting viewers an unsettling insight into the horrors witnessed at Abu Ghraib. Yet, they also serve as a coverup, leading journalists and the public to believe they had witnessed the entirety of the situation, creating an illusion that no further investigation was necessary. Recent news of the destruction of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation footage has emerged, adding layers to the ongoing coverup narrative. While this has garnered headline attention, the concealment tied to Abu Ghraib encompasses countless prisoners and numerous soldiers, leaving us to uncover its full extent.

Many in the media have pondered the existence of the “smoking gun” within the Abu Ghraib scandal. Yet, this inquiry misses the mark. As noted by Philip Gourevitch, “Abu Ghraib is the smoking gun.” A more profound question remains unresolved, even four years post-scandal: How could American ideals be so fundamentally compromised that the events at Abu Ghraib, along with the ensuing coverup, were able to unfold?