The BBC has recently uncovered yet more allegations of abuse and mistreatment of prisoners by US troops in Bagram airbase. I have written about a similar issue in the past, and I want to reiterate again, that I do not condone any form of abuse or torture under any circumstances. That said, I am tired of reading about alleged prisoner abuse at the hands of child-eating, sado-masochistic soldiers.

I am not in possession of all the facts. However, it strikes me that if you look hard enough, you will find what you are looking for. That’s not to say that diligence will be rewarded by discovery. I mean that if you spend enough time staring at the clouds you are bound to see the odd cumulonimbus that resembles, however tenuously, something else. I wonder if the same thing seems to be happening with some of these reports and surveys. If you ask enough people if they enjoyed their stay, a small number are bound to complain.

Just to be clear, it is important that detainees are treated with humanity and that their custodians are under constant scrutiny, but the relentless determination of some journalists to uncover brutal stories of torture and abuse is, I suspect, more about publicity and selling a good story than exposing a corrupt and illegal practices.

The latest survey found that some inmates suffered from sleep deprivation, extreme hot and cold, excessively loud noises and physical abuse. What was school if not one long exercise of sleep deprivation, stressful positions, physical abuse and loud noise? The allegations obviously warrant investigation, but they certainly don’t deserve the media attention.