Boston Globe ran FAKE Rape photos from.... Nation of Islam

Boston Herald ^ | 5/13/04 | Staff

[abu afak]

Globe caught with pants down: Paper duped into running porn photos By Herald staff Thursday, May 13, 2004

The Boston Globe was reeling yesterday after graphic photos of alleged sexual abuse of Iraqi women by U.S. soldiers turned out to be staged shots from a hardcore porn Web site.

``This photo should not have appeared in the Globe,'' editor Martin Baron said in a statement. ``First, images portrayed in the photo were overly graphic. Second, as the story clearly pointed out, those images were never authenticated as photos of prisoner abuse. There was a lapse in judgment and procedures, and we apologize for it.''

The ``lapse'' came after City Councilor Chuck Turner and perennial pot-stirrer Sadiki Kambon called a press conference in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal to display more purported abuse photos. Turner claimed they came from ``a very legitimate person'' but admitted they hadn't been authenticated. Kambon said he got them from a representative of the Nation of Islam. Neither Turner nor Kambon returned calls.

But yesterday, WorldNetDaily.com reported the pictures - which show hard-core sex acts and genitalia - came from a pornographic site.

The Globe ran a picture of Turner and Kambon displaying the images. In a large shot in the paper's early editions, pornographic details are clearly visible. In later editions, the photograph was reduced, making the images slightly more obscure. A number of news outlets - including the Herald and The Associated Press - attended the conference but did not run a story after determining the photos were highly suspicious.

The issue reportedly was the subject of much Globe newsroom debate. According to WorldNetDaily, Globe reporter Donovan Slack did not approve of the photos being published but they were OK'd by ``three Boston Globe editors.''

Her story did note the pictures ``bear no characteristics that would prove the men are US soldiers or that the women are Iraqis.''

Slack told the Herald she had ``no comment,'' then hung up. But she is quoted on the Web site saying she was ``surprised'' the Globe decided to run the story.

``It's insane,'' Slack said. ``Can you imagine getting this with your cup of coffee in the morning? Somehow it got through all our checks. Our publisher's not having a very good day today.''

Later she quips, ``I'll be working at Penthouse soon!'' The president of the Globe's parent New York Times reportedly is ``furious.''

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=27679

[GSWarrior]

A woman reporter named Donovan. Enough said.

[brutuss]

My email to the Globe:

The Globe recently called for the resignation of Sec Def Donald Rumsfeld.

Subsequently, the Globe ran fake porn pictures accusing the US Military of performing the acts depicted in the photographs.

The Globe has, in my opinion, a political bias against our President and does not agree with the war effort. Regardless, undermining our war effort amounts to sedition and, if it gives aid and comfort to our enemies, treason. To the extent that the media exploits negative stories related to the war and our military for political purposes, sedition and treason apply.

The failure of the Globe to carefully vet the authenticity and relevance of these pictures appears to demonstrate its bias and contempt for our military and the war effort.

What resignations can we expect from the editorial and management staff of the Globe in the wake of this incident?

Alternatively, perhaps you should just change the name to the Boston Rose - it does have a nice ring to it.