British bodies lie in dust as mob exults

The Times ^ | March 27, 2003 | David Charter and Alan Hamilton

[MadIvan]

THE images are gruesome, and calculated to cause the utmost distress. Two dead and bloodstained soldiers in unmarked desert fatigues lie side by side on a dusty road. For a while yesterday there was doubt about their identity or even whether they were genuine coalition casualties. Now we know; they are British.

Al-Jazeera, the Qatar-based television station, repeatedly showed yesterday afternoon a 30-second sequence which no one here will wish to see. The station said the pictures were recorded on Tuesday in al-Zubayr, near Basra.

British sources in Qatar said last night that the footage showed the bodies of two soldiers attached to the Desert Rats missing in action since their Land Rover was ambushed by Iraqi forces on Sunday. The footage brought immediate condemnation from British commanders and politicians, and tears to the eyes of the dead men’s comrades in the Gulf who saw it.

Relatives of the two men were being informed that their status was being changed to “missing believed killed” pending formal identification.

In the same brief sequence the Arab-language satellite channel showed images of two hostages looking sombre and uncomfortable. Both men were black, one in his 40s and the other much younger and wearing dreadlocks. Behind them a group of animated Iraqis held up fingers in V-for-victory signs.

Unlike Sunday’s al-Jazeera footage taken from Iraqi state television which claimed to show a group of American prisoners-of-war, there was this time no audio, no attempt to push a microphone in the men’s faces and question them.

Their voices were not heard, and their clothes betrayed no identity. UK National Contingent HQ do not believe the two hostages are British.

Al-Jazeera also showed shots of a crowd surrounding and dancing on an overturned Land Rover and its trailer with a British military numberplate. The station also showed pictures of what appeared to be a broken Phoenix spotter drone with RAF insignia, of the type used by the Royal Artillery to spot targets.

Senior British figures are furious at al-Jazeera’s decision to screen the pictures, particularly those of the dead men, which will be widely seen throughout the Arab world. A Ministry of Defence spokesman, describing it as a flagrant and disgraceful breach of the Geneva Convention, said: “We deplore the decision by al-Jazeera to broadcast such material and call upon them to desist immediately. We request all other media outlets not to become tools for Iraqi propaganda by rebroadcasting such material.”

Commanders are only too well aware of the damaging psychological effect such images can have if seen back home. They well remember, during the last Gulf War, the parading of the British pilots John Peters and John Nichol, looking extremely battered and bruised, on Iraqi television.

Other coalition pilots from Italy and the US were also seen during that conflict, forced to read out pro-Iraqi propaganda on Iraqi television.

But all will remember even more keenly the images from Somalia in 1993, when the corpses of US soldiers were dragged triumphantly through the streets of Mogadishu. It was not long after those deeply disturbing images had been seen in America that the troops were brought home.

Group Captain Al Lockwood, the British spokesman in Qatar, said: “Showing pictures of dead soldiers and prisoners of war on television contravenes the Geneva Convention and we believe (al-Jazeera)are being irresponsible by showing them.”

He admitted that the coalition had mistakenly allowed images of POWs to be filmed. “We had one or two mistakes early on in the campaign when enemy POWs were shown on UK networks. There has been a general consensus that it is a violation of the Geneva Convention, and they will no longer do it.”

Politicians also condemned the pictures of the dead men. A spokesman for Iain Duncan Smith, the Tory leader, said: “If it is confirmed that these two soldiers are British Service personnel we find it deeply repellent that any television station has chosen to parade their bodies.” Gerald Howarth, a Tory defence spokesman, said: “Iraq are brilliant at seeking to undermine the spirit of the coalition forces and if al-Jazeera has been aiding and abetting them it would be disgusting.”

[mumbo]

Ivan,

We're in this together, and we could ask for no better men to be at our side. Thanks to all of the British troops! On to victory over the evil rats!

[MadIvan]

Fortunately Sky News and other news outlets had the taste not to rebroadcast what Al Jazeera did. I've seen the pictures of the dead Americans - their bodies were defiled by the Iraqis - and I don't think that it would be proper and respectful to the families to have that repeated for anyone else.

Regards, Ivan

[Saundra Duffy]

Oh, my God!

[Argus]

It would be difficult to kick AJ out of Qatar because Qatar is the HQ of AJ. They should, however, revoke their embed status

Aren't al Jazeera reporters embedded with the Republican Guard? Their transmitter should suffer an accidental collision with an errant cruise missile.

[Wolfstar]

"Their decisions will cause the world to see them for what they truly are..."

Only some of the world, zingzang, only some of it. Of the the world's population of some 6 billion, many tens of millions support and cheer for the dark side. Sigh.

[MadIvan]

you said it would backfire. that means it will work to our advantage not theirs. or are you saying that it won't backfire?

I'm saying you're a disrespectful bastard who ought to shut the hell up. You are viewing this as some sort of propaganda coup. I am viewing this as an outrage that should not have happened.

I will tolerate a lot, but I will not tolerate you belitting the men who died like this in the manner you're doing. Take my advice: shut the bloody hell up.

Ivan

[ImpBill]

"Images of death are all the rage in the Arab world.">

Islam as practiced in the Arabian peninsula particularly is a CULT of death and there is nothing about it being a "religion of peace.".

Unfortunately many more innocent Americans and other westerners are going to be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness before we finally do arrive at the inevitable conclusion that we are going to have to destroy most of "them" before we will ever know peace again in the western world.

[timydnuc]

We will avenge this Ivan, my brother, and it won't be pretty, you can count on that. They do this to a Brit, as far as I'm concerned, they've done it to me!

[MadIvan]

i'm not belittling them.

Your first and subsequent posts indicate that you are viewing this in terms of propaganda. That is belitting them. Furthermore, a quick search on your handle indicates that you put up posts defending the veracity of Al Jazeera of all things. Why the hell you are here and not among the Legion of the Zotted is beyond me.

i'm just not clear on why we claim that this is a propaganda for them when we also claim it will backfire on them and end up being to our advantage.

You are a damn idiot. Iraq hopes that it will put us off like the scenes of dead bodies in Mogadishu put off Bill Clinton. Though painful, though an outrage, their attempt at propaganda will fail.

Let me make it perfectly clear, this outrage should not have happened.

Now shut up.

Ivan

[Ichneumon]

When will people understand that we are engaged in a clash of civilizations, and that only one side is civilized.

To paraphrase a classic zinger:

Q: What do you think of Arab civilization?

A: I think it would be a good idea.

[MadIvan]

We will avenge this Ivan, my brother, and it won't be pretty, you can count on that. They do this to a Brit, as far as I'm concerned, they've done it to me!

Well tonight an Iraqi tank column moving out of Basra is getting the hell pounded out of it by Tornado jets. So far as I am concerned, by the dawn, there should be no Iraqi tank column, just the twisted and scorched wreckage of what was once a tank column.

Regards, Ivan

[aristeides]

I wonder if Al Jazeera has now made itself vulnerable to civil suits (e.g., by the families, for a tort like infliction of emotional distress).

[ml/nj]

When will people understand that we are engaged in a clash of civilizations, and that only one side is civilized.

Not sure what your position is here.

Should we remain "civilized" like the Israelis, or should we make them pay x10 for their transgressions?

ML/NJ

[Wolfstar]

Have you had an opportunity to watch any of the CentCom morning briefings? Most of the questions asked by the world's media are insulting and hostile in the extreme. Among the worst are the Arabs (of course), a ChiCom from Hong Kong, and an Australian (obviously a Leftist). Why we're playing that game is beyond me. If it were up to me, I'd ship them all home to their countries of origin with toe tags tied to ID their scurvy corpses. "Ooops. So sorry. They took a wrong turn into a bad Iraqi neighborhood." Grrrrr...

This morning was the "Americans kill innocent civilians in market" theme. The briefing took place around 5:00am Pacific time. It's now about 4:30pm and my mood still hasn't cooled off.

[MadIvan]

If Al Jazeera exists as a legal entity in Britain or the United States, i.e. a division of a company, then perhaps the families can sue. It's just awful that they did broadcast this.

Regards, Ivan

[GWfan]

You're right on Ivan. That guy is a troll AND an ass.

[dandelion]

God bless these men and their families. God bless Britain, our dear and loyal friends - we are honored and humbled by your sacrifice. We will not forget.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

"Well tonight an Iraqi tank column moving out of Basra is getting the hell pounded out of it by Tornado jets. So far as I am concerned, by the dawn, there should be no Iraqi tank column, just the twisted and scorched wreckage of what was once a tank column."

The TOWS and Milans will be flying tonight.

SIC