The syndrome was first identified in 1973. During a six-day siege at a bank in Stockholm, a number of the hostages actively resisted attempts to free them and later refused to testify against their captors.
In the aftermath of the war in Iraq, a new variant of the Stockholm effect has been recognized.
Baghdad syndrome refers to the tendency for journalists sent to report on murderous tyrants to over-identify with them, becoming progressively more sympathetic to their cause, to the extent that they are willing to overlook horrendous crimes and, even afterwards, refuse to admit the truth.
The first cases of Baghdad syndrome have already been well documented. But, as with Stockholm syndrome, the challenge is not only to identify those affected but also to make sure that sufferers are offered the help and support they need.
Awareness is increasing but little is actually being done. Months after the end of the war, the first recorded case of Baghdad syndrome, Peter Arnett, has still not received the treatment he so desperately needs.
Meanwhile, more cases are being reported; the latest is Patrick Graham. Roger L Simon read a recent article by Graham in the Observer and immediately recognized the symptoms.
This article's despicable nostalgia for fascism brings to mind nothing so much as those reminisces about the good old days in pre-war Berlin when "refined" Nazis were drinking champagne and listening to Wagner.It’s a textbook diagnosis.
More cases will undoubtedly come to light and a number of journalists are presently under observation. The big question is: does Baghdad syndrome affect only journalists or are the general public susceptible? There are already concerns that the syndrome may be spread by contact with certain types of newsprint.
The immediate problem however, is those who are already suffering. The original victims of Stockholm syndrome had access to the best psychiatric care the Swedish medical system could provide.
It is a sad indictment of our society that the victims of Baghdad syndrome, people like Patrick and Peter, are not getting the kind of treatment they deserve.
