British Government says Iraq abuse pictures are fakes

By KIM SENGUPTA and COLIN BROWN


Photographs published in the Daily Mirror purporting to show abuse of an Iraqi prisoner by British soldiers were "categorically not taken in Iraq", the British Government has declared.

The findings by the Royal Military Police put immediate pressure on the Mirror's editor, Piers Morgan, with questions raised about his future with the newspaper.

But last night he remained defiant, maintaining that ministers had "still not produced incontrovertible evidence that they were fakes". Mr Morgan, said his colleagues, had no intention of resigning

The Independent revealed on Wednesday that the Ministry of Defence would announce this week that its investigation had concluded that the images in the Mirror were a hoax.

On Thursday, the Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram told the Commons that they had been taken in the back of a lorry which had never been deployed in Iraq. The conclusions, he said, had been "independently corroborated".

Mr Ingram said the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police (RMP) still has not established the identities of Soldiers "A" and "B" who had provided the Mirror with the photographs, and asked Mr Morgan to co-operate with the ongoing investigation.

According to defence sources, the investigation into the allegations behind the photographs has ground to a halt because the RMP have not been able to interview the two soldiers, reportedly from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, and no evidence has been found of a complaint by an Iraqi corresponding to the assault portrayed.

The investigations found that the photographs were taken in a stationary Bedford lorry at the car park of a Territorial Army barracks near Manchester.

"It is deeply disturbing that there are those who are prepared to casually vilify our armed forces without establishing the facts," he told MPs.

"These pictures were categorically not taken in Iraq. Moreover, this is not only the opinion of the SIB investigators. It has been independently corroborated. From the start of this episode the Daily Mirror has demanded that the Army and the MoD operate under the highest standards in honesty, openness and professionalism. I now challenge the Daily Mirror to do the same."

Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said it was clear that Mr Morgan had breached the Press Complaints Commission's code of conduct - which was included in his contract of employment - and urged the Mirror's publishers to take action.

"The publication in the Daily Mirror of photographs which now turn out to have been faked has had consequences of the utmost seriousness for our troops serving in Iraq and for the reputation of the British armed services throughout the world," he said.

However, Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said questions over mistreatment remained even if the Mirror pictures were false.

"Public opinion is concerned about two things - first, are they real or are they fakes, and secondly, do they indicate things that have been taking place involving British troops?" He said.

The Mirror refused to comment on whether or not the photographs were subjected to scrutiny by outside experts before publication.

Last night Colonel David Black, a former commander of the QLR, and a member of the regimental council, said "We are very glad that these photographs have been demonstrably proved to be fakes. We feel the Daily Mirror was wrong to run them without adequate checks.

"However, we also feel that the fact these photographs were staged should not cloud the issue about real allegations of abuse. These should be thoroughly investigated, and if proved, those responsible punished."

Brigadier Geoff Sheldon, of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, said: "Those of us with military judgment and experience never believed them in the first place and I am frankly astonished they could have been published under those conditions, particularly given the inevitable impact they would have."

However, Mr Morgan insisted: "There is, of course, a much bigger issue here that we make no apology for highlighting - which is that the pictures accurately illustrated the reality about the appalling conduct of some British troops.

"And in particular, the conduct of certain members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment. Conduct which is already the subject of ongoing disciplinary proceedings. And conduct which stains the reputation of that regiment and the British Army."

- INDEPENDENT

Herald Feature: Iraq