Ghosts of Abu Ghraib asks: what do those events say about America, our government, our military, and human nature? The film is built on the direct, personal narratives of the perpetrators, witnesses, and victims of the abuse and probes the psychology of how typical American men and women can come to commit atrocious acts. On a parallel track, the film explores the chronology of recent policy decisions that have eroded our compliance with the Geneva Conventions and that contributed to making this abuse a reality.