Maj. Ian Fishback (ret.), a West Point graduate and former Army Special Forces officer who served four combat tours during the War on Terror, died on November 19, 2021. He was 42 years old, and living in an adult care home, at the time. Read story here.
Fishback, who earned masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Michigan, and became a West Point instructor, co-authored a letter in 2005 to Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and John Warner (R-VA), both serving on the Senate Armed Force Committee, detailing abuse, torture, and murders of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The letter blew the lid off the Bush administration’s disgraceful torture policies, which became a major scandal and tarnished Bush’s presidential legacy.
Sen. McCain later said of Fishback, “I thank God every day that we have men and women the caliber of Captain Fishback serving in our military,” and “Fishback was chosen by Time magazine” in 2006 “as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for taking his stand against torture,” according to Wikipedia (here).
Fishback wasn’t the only person who revealed the abusive treatment of detainees.
Human Rights First, a U.S.-based group of human-rights lawyers (details here) that campaigned against torture, called Fishback and eight other individuals “heroes who stood up against torture” (here).
Photo: Maj. Ian Fishback