Abu Ghraib prison was a notorious maximum-security prison located in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, west of Baghdad, known for its use by Saddam Hussein to hold political prisoners who were subject to torture and extrajudicial killing. It was closed by Saddam in 2002, but following his overthrow in the Invasion of Iraq a section of the prison was reopened by the United States, which became an internment camp known as Camp Redemption. The section gained international attention from June 2003, when it was exposed that horrific torture and abuse of detainees by American guards was occurring. Despite Abu Ghraib prison being a fortified stronghold for US forces in the Baghdad area, the scandal made it a prime target for Iraqi insurgents.