British torture photo's fake.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I’ve been out of the loop for a few days. This all broke on Friday over here.

It seems the photo’s of British troops torturing Iraqis were faked. Apparently the truck the scenes are set in is of a type that has never been sent to Iraq, and in fact the actual truck has been found and identified by marks shown in the photo’s. It’s on a TA (National Guard) base in Preston Lancashire (North England).

The editor of the Mirror, Piers Morgan, (news paper which published the photographs) has been sacked and the paper has acknowledged that the photographs are fake.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3716151.stm

Quote

Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan has been sacked after the newspaper conceded photos of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi were fake.
In a statement the Mirror said it had fallen victim to a "calculated and malicious hoax" and that it would be "inappropriate" for Morgan to continue.

The Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR) said the Mirror had endangered British troops by running the pictures.

Roger Goodman, of the QLR, said the regiment now felt "vindicated".

Mr Goodman added: "It is just a great pity it has taken so long... and that so much damage has been done in the meantime."

At a news conference in Preston on Friday afternoon, the regiment demonstrated to reporters aspects of uniform and equipment which it said proved the photographs were fake.

The regiment's Brigadier Geoff Sheldon said the vehicle featured in the photographs had been located in a Territorial Army base in Lancashire and had never been in Iraq.

He said the QLR's reputation had been damaged by the Mirror and asked the newspaper to apologise because the evidence they were staged was "overwhelming".

The Conservatives said they hoped lessons had been learned from the row.

Deputy leader and foreign affairs spokesman, Michael Ancram, said: ''Looking at the facts objectively, this is the right thing for Piers Morgan to have done.

"The photos that were published in the Daily Mirror have done great damage to the reputation of our troops, who are serving under some of the most difficult conditions in Iraq.''

'Recruiting poster for al-Qaeda'

The photos published in the Mirror on 1 May appeared to show British troops torturing an Iraqi detainee.

In one picture a soldier is seen urinating on a hooded man while in another the hooded man is being hit with a rifle in the groin.

Colonel Black, a former regiment commander of the QLR, said the pictures put lives in danger and acted as a "recruiting poster" for al-Qaeda.

[kiltboy 0]

I think Morgan should swing myself or live in the tower for a while at the least.
He saw what he wanted to be true as did the many people who believed the photos were real.

It looks as if the photos are making life more difficult for the guys out there. The Argylls and PWRR ended up fixing bayonets at one point when they were ambushed. Hopefully they can try and calm down their part of Iraq before it gets really bad.

David

[Newbie 0]

i find 2 things really weird about this whole episode, maybe someone can enlighten me.

1 - Why did British troops fake these photos, knowing the sort of recourse it would bring to their comrades-in-arms who are serving out there?

2 - Why was everyone at the Mirror so upset when Piers was escorted from the building by security? I read on saturday that many were nearly in tears, and that drinks at the Mirrors local afterwards were a sombre affair. I would personally have been swinging from the chandeliers and putting my party hat on - anyone who refuses to apologise for publishing something that will do nothing other than act as a recruit poster for more terrorists and their subsequent attacks, profesing their validity, even after it comes to light the pictures were fake, deserves to be sacked, at the very least, if you ask me. If you can't put your hand up, apologise and eat humble pie at that point, you certainly have no role running the editorial of a national newspaper.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[kiltboy 0]

It could have been for the money and they could have been encouraged to do it.
i.e. It's a great story lads but have you got any pictures to help sell it?

David

[turtlespeed 226]

But WHY would someone do this to thier own countrymen?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[jakee 1,596]

m-m-m-money!
Why assume that everyone in the forces is better than anyone else in the world? Most squaddies are decent guys but some are arseholes, deal with it.

What I want to know is whether or not Piers Morgan is helping the mod plod find those guys.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[kiltboy 0]

I can only think it was for the money and that they didn't quite think ahead. They came out close after the prison pictures were released and I wonder if one of them thought it up after seeing them.

David