Posted on 05/18/2004 5:11:51 PM PDT by weegee
LONDON (Reuters) - At least one soldier has been arrested over fake pictures showing alleged mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by British troops, the defence ministry says.
The photos were published in the Daily Mirror just days after similar ones were published in the United States showing U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners, shocking the world and causing widespread anger in the Arab world.
A spokeswoman would give no further details about the arrest by the ministry's Special Investigation Branch (SIB).
"The SIB, as part of the ongoing investigation, arrested somebody to be questioned under caution," she said. "At least one person has been arrested. It is a soldier."
Four other British soldiers have been arrested and released without charge by military police probing some of the alleged cases of abuse by British troops.
The Mirror, which sacked its flamboyant editor Piers Morgan on Friday, issued a front page apology for the photos.
The paper was a harsh critic of Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to go to war. Blair's personal ratings have sunk since the U.S-led invasion 15 months ago.
Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING
So, the Brits have their military miscreants too. But even more telling is the fact that they also have their share of idiot journos. Mirror - meet Globe....
Ok - so let's get some analysis here. This was a fairly good series of fakes in that they got some British troops to participate. The timing suggests that the hoaxers knew the Abu Ghirab pictures were about to come out.
So who was behind this effort?
It'll be military charges, so I'm sure they find a variety of angles.
Some in England are already pushing for treason. Unlikely to receive a death sentence in England today though (even for crimes against the state).
The US abuses have been known for months. The leakage of the US photos (leaked by one or more of the guards under investigation) may be completely coincidental.
What we do know is that there was a conspiracy to defraud the public, damaging morale at home and abroad.
Conspiracy because there are at least 2 people in the photos. Even if the photos were shot from a tripod with a timer, multiple people planned this scam.
The photos were shot on government equipment meaning it was an insider job (fifth columnist).
The editor of the paper may or may not have known the source of the images or if they were fakes. Establish who was in the photos first and you can tie connections to the editor or his associates.
So who was behind this effort?
Hmmmmmm....good point.
Yup, no neck stretching allowed over here.
The Gumint says it is not good for us despite a clear majority of folks who would vote it back in cases of child murder, terrorism and TREASON etc, if we were ever given the chance. (And bu**er the European Human Rights rubbish, its at the root of most of our present problems with the spineless judiciary and the courts)
Pity the hoaxers won't get the long drop, I suppose that if tried and found guilty the squaddies involved will just be thrown out.
Still, I don't suppose it will stop their former mates from giving them a good kicking, given half a chance.
Interesting. The BBC and The Mirror have been punished for their sins. But the New York Times and similar repeat offenders over here get off scot free.
This brazen act has been the worst attack on the British honor since Colonel Bloodnok was caught in a tarten beard, wearing his mother's boots, and dressed as a woman on what he claimed was "Carnival Night".
I think you're reading far too much into the story? Soldier A and Soldier B approached the Daily Mirror with the original story. They were asked by the newspaper if they had any images. Sometime later they came back with images. This, in my opinion, would have been purely for financial gain. They would have received a substantial amount for those images rather than just a word of mouth story.
"The editor of the paper may or may not have known the source of the images"
The editor and newspaper know the identities of Soldier A and Soldier B. The paper, and Piers Morgan, have refused to name those two individuals. Both Soldier A and Soldier B provided personal images of themselves to the newspaper. The Mirror published these with pixelated faces.
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