Iraq Prisoner Abuse Photos May be Fakes

Newsmax ^ | 5/2/04 | Carl Limbacher

[truthandlife]

Shocking photographs splashed across the front page of a widely circulated anti-war daily in Britain showing coalition forces abusing Iraqi prisoners may be fakes, the BBC is reporting.

BBC defense correspondent Paul Adams revealed Sunday that sources close to The Queen's Lancashire Regiment - which allegedly perpetrated the abuse - are suspicious of some details in the photographs, which were published by the Daily Mirror under the headline "VILE."

One picture showed a British soldier urinating on an Iraqi prisoner while holding him at gunpoint.

But according to the BBC, the photos may have been taken outside Iraq, since the rifle shown in one photo - an SA80 mk 1 - was not issued to troops in Iraq.

Also, British soldiers in Iraq wore berets or hard hats - and not floppy hats as depicted in the photos.

And a Bedford military truck visible in the background of one of the photos is a model that was never deployed in Iraq. Colonel Bob Stewart, who commanded British forces in the Balkans, told the BBC that he couldn't say whether the photos were genuine. Beyond questions over bogus equipment shown in the photos, Stewart said there were also discrepancies over clothing and the captive's condition.

"The shirt looks like a football shirt. Is that the sort of shirt that a captive might be wearing, slightly silky with an Iraqi flag? Why is it not dirty and disheveled, why is the man not showing some signs of damage after [a reported] eight hours of beatings".

Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Saturday that the photos, if genuine, showed conduct that was "completely and totally unacceptable."

Photos showing U.S. soldiers humiliating Iraqi prisoners in a Baghdad jail are believed to be accurate.

[A CA Guy]

Would be a very interesting turn of events if true.

Supposedly though, soldiers turned these folks in. So did those soldiers get the pictures from the ones in the pictures, were they there or were they mailed them from dubious sources?

[tiamat]

Doesn't matter much if it's fake now... it's out there and the damage is done and troops will die because of them.

[Free_at_last_-2001]

The Daily Mirror telling lies - I'm shocked I tells ya shocked!

[mhking]

Just damn.

If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[cyborg]

If they found out it was fakes, the Arab street would just cry that the media is a tool of the evil JOOZ and the zionist conspirators are guilty of war crimes (even if they never happened).

[tiamat]

I'd feel better about some of our troops if they COULD be proven to be fakes, but that's me.

We're screwed either way, so we deal with it.

Did you catch Prince Abadabbadullah ( or whatever his name is) saying that the recent attacks in SA is Zionists? It's like they are on a different planet.

[cyborg]

Where did you see that? I've been a bit off these last few days.

[traumer]

Won't make a difference. The damage (in Arab countries) was already done. Perfect PSY-OP...

[alloysteel]

This may be a very sophisticated version of psy-ops - deliberate spreading of misinformation and fabrications in an attempt to stir up anti-war and anti-coalition discontent, both among the peace-niks and the general Arabic and Muslim population.

Al-Jazerra has some pretty high-quality technicians on their staff, and no doubt other players in the game have the necessary skills and knowledge to make a satisfactory product that would be accepted by any number of people lacking in skepticism.

[ScaniaBoy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128125/posts

Saudi Crown prince blames Zionists etc.

The worst thing is that they probably are so delusional that they believe things like this.

[tiamat]

Ask, and ye shall receive!

p://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128125/posts

[tiamat]

I had wondered if it was some sort of bogus trick..

I don't know enough about Brit gear and uniforms to tell myself.

[tiamat]

Sorry about that.

I apparently cut it's head off the first time!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1128125/posts

[cyborg]

Wow I'm bad this weekend. I was the second post in this thread. It's true what they say about diet coke and short term memory!

[tiamat]

I've noticed you're around a lot this weekend. You okay?

[cyborg]

I'm okay.

[tiamat]

Just checkin'!

;-)

[Tommyjo]

"But according to the BBC, the photos may have been taken outside Iraq, since the rifle shown in one photo - an SA80 mk 1 - was not issued to troops in Iraq.

Also, British soldiers in Iraq wore berets or hard hats - and not floppy hats as depicted in the photos."

There is not a clear image of those pictures that show the cocking handle of that weapon. Even blow ups don't show a clear shot!. Most of the A2 modifications are internal. The one tell tale giveaway to show an A2 version from an A1 is the cocking handle. Not everyone got an A2 version of the SA-80 when they went to Iraq. Not all of the SA-80s have been converted into A2s even to the present. The weapon shown in those images does show an infantry issued weapon fitted with a SUSAT sight and not one fitted with the iron sights. Some of my unit went to theartre with the "MK 1" SA-80A1. All the UK forces in Iraq are supplied with the bondu hat. There have been images shown on TV of UK soldiers even patrolling through Basra with the bondu hat.

[Tommyjo]

There is nothing about the mil gear in those images to raise any suspiscion. As far as the weapon is concerned; if someone wanted to fake images then there is a replica/soft air pellet of the SA-80 that is available on the market. The newspaper that the images were handed over to stated today that they have more allegations in the pipeline. They claim that the source is two soldiers from the Lancashire Regiment.