Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs who writes regularly for CGTN, Xinhua News Agency, Global Times and other Chinese media outlets. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
In May 2006, Time Magazine named Ian Fishback to its list of the 100 most influential figures in the world and regarded him as a national hero.
In November 2021, the former U.S. Army officer was found dead at 42 in circumstances that are still unclear, alone and broke in a care facility. He was described as suffering from a severe mental health crisis.
How did this hero end up in such a sorry plight?
Major Fishback served three combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and later earned a doctorate and became an instructor at West Point. He was once a household name. In 2005, he disclosed that his fellow members stationed in Iraq systematically abused local detainees. Though ignored for 17 months by his superiors and clergy, Ian's persistent appeal led to the passage of groundbreaking anti-torture legislation – the Detainee Treatment Act – in the U.S.
After being deemed a national hero, Ian, a dedicated serviceman and a brave whistleblower, was allegedly mistreated. His pursuit of humane treatment for detainees met only with discredit from his own military unit which considered him as a coward, according to NPR's interview with Ian. Defamation from his own fellow soldiers is tantamount to a death sentence for any honorable Army...
The special counsel team investigating the insurrection led by Cho Eun-suk requested a prison sentence of two years for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was indicted on charges of false testimo...