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Scrap this sick BBC film now
The Sun (U.K.) ^ | 05/24/03 | JOHN KAY

Posted on 05/23/2003 8:55:06 PM PDT by Pokey78


Victim ... Staff Sgt Simon

BBC bosses were branded a disgrace last night for deciding to screen video of two dead British soldiers.

The sickening footage shows the bodies of Staff Sergeant Simon Cullingworth, 36, and Sapper Luke Allsopp, 24.

The pair — said to have been executed by Iraqis after being ambushed in Gulf War II — were filmed lying in a dusty street.

Devastated relatives still mourning the soldiers accused BBC chiefs of being heartless and begged them to axe the clip.

It is due to be shown on BBC2 a week from Sunday.

Simon’s heartbroken widow Alison said:

“I’m upset. Do these people care about the welfare of those who have lost loved ones?”

“I’m sure those responsible for the programme would not show the film if it was their husband or son who was killed on operations.”


Victim ... Sapper Luke


Top brass at the Ministry of Defence were also outraged and called upon Beeb boss Greg Dyke to intervene.

And Major Gen Ken Perkins, The Sun’s military adviser, said: “Once again BBC TV is plumbing the depths. It should be renamed the Baghdad Broadcasting Corporation.

“What justification is there for putting the dead men’s next of kin through further mental torture? No justification at all.”

The video was broadcast by the controversial Arab TV station Al Jazeera — labelled a terrorists’ mouthpiece — soon after the men were killed.

Pictures of the soldiers’ corpses were available to all Western media at the time.

But The Sun and other newspapers decided they should not be published because of the anguish it would cause to the squaddies’ loved ones.

Now the BBC is to screen the footage in a programme about Al Jazeera on June 1 as part of its Correspondent series.

Alison, who visits Simon’s grave every day, has two children — Matthew, eight, and Jack, three.

She said: “As a mother of young sons, I’m very upset and annoyed the BBC should show the film of Simon and Luke at this time of great sadness.

“Do these people really care about the welfare of those who have lost loved ones?”

Her mum Pauline Thorpe said: “It is absolutely devastating for the families.

“I cannot believe this is happening. We had no idea that the BBC were planning this.


Storm ... BBC boss Dyke


“We will do everything we can to try to get this terrible programme stopped. It is not right. Don’t they realise we have only just buried Simon?

“As far as we are concerned, that footage should never be shown — ever.

“Alison is beside herself at the moment. It is a dreadful time for her.

“She is working so hard to be strong for Matthew who is having a really difficult time.

“When he sees this he will be so cut up about it. Everyone in Simon’s regiment will be very upset. They will want this programme stopped.”

Bomb disposal expert Simon, of Essex, and Luke, of North London, were with 33 (EOD) Engineer Regiment, based in Wimbish, Essex.

Simon had served in the Balkans and Afghanistan. Luke, who had a girlfriend Katie, had not seen action before.

Their commanding officer, Lieut Col Tony Troulan, told last night how he had tried to persuade BBC bosses to axe the documentary.

He said: “At first it was due to be shown a few days after the funerals and I was appalled.

“I wrote to the BBC telling them that was wrong. The headstones hadn’t even been put on the graves. They agreed to postpone it for a suitable period.

“Obviously a ‘suitable’ time for the BBC is just a few days.

“All I would say to the people at the BBC is that, if it was your husband’s body lying in the dirt, being bayed over by an unruly mob, would you want that footage shown?


Tragedy ... Sun March 28


“I’m pleased that The Sun has highlighted this and I hope that together we can get this stopped.”

An MoD spokesman said: “The MoD has made it very clear to the BBC that it finds it unacceptable for this footage to be broadcast and has requested their co-operation on behalf of the families.

“We are extremely disappointed at the BBC’s decision and hope they will reconsider.”

A military source added: “Is eight seconds of footage in a documentary on editorial decisions in wartime more important than the welfare of families who have lost their loved ones at war whilst serving their Queen and country?

“To the BBC it obviously is — to anyone else, I think not.”

A senior Army officer also condemned plans for the broadcast, even if the soldiers’ faces were digitally obscured.

He said: “There is no justification whatsoever for showing these images.

“Pixelating out the faces does not change anything. Everyone, especially the relatives, will know who these men are.”

A BBC spokeswoman said: “We have liaised with the MoD, who have informed the families of the soldiers. We wanted to make them as aware about the programme as possible.

“The MoD felt it was more appropriate for them to talk to their relatives. We worked hard to be as sensitive as possible.

“We have made sure these images are not sensationalised.”

The bodies of Simon and Luke were eventually retrieved and brought back to Britain.

An inquiry is still trying to establish the exact circumstances of their deaths.

They were buried in the same churchyard in Wimbish, Essex, just over two weeks ago.

Additional reporting: SARA NATHAN
and STEVE KENNEDY


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: ambush; fallen; iraqifreedom; lukeallsopp; sapperallsopp; simoncullingworth; televisedwar; uk

1 posted on 05/23/2003 8:55:06 PM PDT by Pokey78
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To: Pokey78
There are thousands of pictures of dead Marines and Soldiers from WWII that were released soon after their deaths. I aadmit there were few identified at the time of printing, but the pics still appeared.

The pics of the Dead Marines and Airmen from the Hostage Rescue Attempt were shown all over TV in 1980, and posted in Time, Newsweek, and Life and US News and World Report
2 posted on 05/23/2003 9:07:49 PM PDT by RaceBannon
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To: Pokey78
The BBC, while a shade above our versions of Pravda, are just as complicit in pushing a Leftist vision for mass comsumption. The BBC of 20 years ago was something else. If it were me on the other side of the pond, I'd take it personal and photgraph Mr. Dyke's dead relatives the next time the opportunity presented itself. Make stickers of the deceased's visage, and plaster them in subways and thoroughfares throughout the land. Make the sauce good for the Gander...
3 posted on 05/23/2003 9:11:00 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Defund NPR, PBS and the LSC.)
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To: RaceBannon
The WWII dead were heavily censored. Individual identities were not splashed on the front pages. It does happen, however, and you are right that this is not new.

My point is that this is deliberate, cruel and political. As such, I urge counter measures.
4 posted on 05/23/2003 9:13:44 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Defund NPR, PBS and the LSC.)
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To: Pokey78
BBC=BOLSHEVIK BROADCASTING CORP.
5 posted on 05/23/2003 10:33:18 PM PDT by CaptIsaacDavis
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To: Pokey78
There can be no purpose for this, other than to strengthen the anti war side by showing such horrific scenes on television. It appears the BBC is as leftist as our own media. The all went to the same school of yellow journalism, with propaganda as their major.
6 posted on 05/23/2003 10:37:39 PM PDT by ladyinred (Thankful for the men and women in uniform)
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To: ladyinred
It appears the BBC is as leftist as our own media.

Believe me, you don't know what leftist is, living here. Count yourself lucky.

7 posted on 05/24/2003 12:47:28 AM PDT by The Great Satan (Revenge, Terror and Extortion: A Guide for the Perplexed)
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To: ladyinred
There can be no purpose for this, other than to strengthen the anti war side by showing such horrific scenes on television.

I agree whole-heartedly!!!!

Just like the war protestors who used their excuse that "hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis will be killed" to justify their foolishness . . . I always ask myself, "If they're so interested about innocents being killed, where were they when Saddam was torturing and murdering an even greater number of innocents?"

Carrying that thought to the BBC . . . if they're interested in showing the horrors of war, fine, but show the corpses of the innocent Iraqis currently being excavated from the unmarked and numerous mass graves in Iraq as well. Show the faces of the beautiful Iraqi children who have been spared such a fate. Show the world the WHOLE STORY so they'll truly understand why these two Brits and many others willingly put their lives at risk.

We both know they won't . . . you're right, the leftist wouldn't comprende "fair and balanced" if it jumped up and bit them on the . . .

8 posted on 05/24/2003 7:42:21 AM PDT by geedee (Part of the secret of a success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside)
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