Octavia Butler, science-fiction author

MILBERT ORLANDO BROWN / CHICAGO TRIBUNE "There are few things scarier, if you're in the position of seeing this happen around you, than being the one who says: 'I don't think we should be doing this.' "

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"It corrupts, no matter who has it," says the Seattle science-fiction author, whose books and short stories have explored the way power can lead to abuse.

The young soldiers involved were poorly trained and supervised but were also giving in to a basic human tendency, she says. "Most of us, if we're not careful, tend to dehumanize the enemy."

There's also a presumption that anyone who's in prison deserves to be there, because they did something wrong, says Butler. A Red Cross report last week estimated up to 90 percent of Iraqi prisoners were arrested by mistake.

Labeling prisoners as guilty makes it easier for guards to cross the line into torture and mistreatment, Butler says.

The fact that the prisoners look different, speak a different language and practice a different religion can make them seem less than human to the soldiers guarding them, she says. In that kind of environment, Butler says, it would have been very difficult to stand up for the prisoners.

"There are few things scarier, if you're in the position of seeing this happen around you, than being the one who says: 'I don't think we should be doing this.' "

— Sandi Doughton

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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