PFC Lyndie England, the woman pictured smiling and giving a thumbs up in the Abu Ghraib Iraqi prison photos, pleaded guilty Monday to mistreating prisoners. She asserted that she allowed her coworkers to talk her into going along with the abuse. The charges carry up to 11 years in prison.

I could have said, 'No.' I knew it was wrong.

It is amazing to me that the abuse in Abu Ghraib could occur without senior officer knowledge. Let me rephrase that, I do not believe abuse occurred in Abu Ghraib without senior officer knowledge. There is no way the CO of the prison would not know the abuse was happening. On the other hand, I doubt generals were directing that prisoners be softened up. If that were the case, professional interrogators would be used to do that, not a 22-year-old reservist.

In any event, all these junior enlisted are going to get hammered to make a political statement.