Comments on: Iraq pictures http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501 Every day the Prime Minister's Spokesman meets a small coterie of political journalists known as 'the lobby' for a topical chat, or 'briefing'. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:23:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Julian Todd http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-883 Julian Todd Thu, 06 May 2004 22:21:12 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-883 I think you guys are being fooled by a non-story here. This is the job of the PR companies, retained by the government, to throw up distracting garbage like this -- and you get distracted! You fall for it hook, line and sinker. I don't believe this. There are shedloads of much much worse photos coming out in America. Pick which you want. What would be the point in faking any? You've speculated at the extreme risk that would be taken with fakes, so why would anyone do it? I think you guys are being fooled by a non-story here. This is the job of the PR companies, retained by the government, to throw up distracting garbage like this — and you get distracted! You fall for it hook, line and sinker. I don’t believe this.

There are shedloads of much much worse photos coming out in America. Pick which you want. What would be the point in faking any? You’ve speculated at the extreme risk that would be taken with fakes, so why would anyone do it?

]]> By: Gregory Block http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-877 Gregory Block Thu, 06 May 2004 03:57:12 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-877 I just can't be as warm and fuzzy about this one, I'm afraid. If those photos weren't real, and it was within the reasonable power of those who published the photos to know that they were fake, then they should be hit with negligence - regardless of whether or not they *knew* it was a fake. If they're right, they're heroes. If they're wrong, I hope they feel the full repercussions of the law, civil or otherwise. I just can’t be as warm and fuzzy about this one, I’m afraid. If those photos weren’t real, and it was within the reasonable power of those who published the photos to know that they were fake, then they should be hit with negligence - regardless of whether or not they *knew* it was a fake.

If they’re right, they’re heroes. If they’re wrong, I hope they feel the full repercussions of the law, civil or otherwise.

]]> By: Uncarved Block http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-876 Uncarved Block Wed, 05 May 2004 20:04:52 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-876 The mirror should only be sued if it can be shown that they did something wrong. If the Mirror knew that these pictures were false or didn't bother to do anything more than a cursory check on their authenticity then of course they should be held responsible. But you can't sue a newspaper just because it publishes a picture that turns out to be untrue - otherwise they would never print a weather forecast! Even if these pictures do turn out to be false they have highlighted an issue that was previously being ignored. It turns out that there are plenty of other cases of abuse of Iraqis that are being investigated that have never even been mentioned in the press before. Whether or not these photos are true is important but it is nowhere near as important as finding out if US/UK troops are committing atrocities in Iraq. I also wouldn't lay too much blame on these photo's for increasing resistance to US/UK forces. The Iraqis have been complaining about treatment by soldiers since not longer after the invasion. Just because the western media only pay attention when they've got some juicy pictures to show doesn't mean that Iraqis haven't already been talking to each other about being beaten up by western soldiers who are supposed to be helping them. The mirror should only be sued if it can be shown that they did something wrong. If the Mirror knew that these pictures were false or didn’t bother to do anything more than a cursory check on their authenticity then of course they should be held responsible. But you can’t sue a newspaper just because it publishes a picture that turns out to be untrue - otherwise they would never print a weather forecast!

Even if these pictures do turn out to be false they have highlighted an issue that was previously being ignored. It turns out that there are plenty of other cases of abuse of Iraqis that are being investigated that have never even been mentioned in the press before.

Whether or not these photos are true is important but it is nowhere near as important as finding out if US/UK troops are committing atrocities in Iraq.

I also wouldn’t lay too much blame on these photo’s for increasing resistance to US/UK forces. The Iraqis have been complaining about treatment by soldiers since not longer after the invasion. Just because the western media only pay attention when they’ve got some juicy pictures to show doesn’t mean that Iraqis haven’t already been talking to each other about being beaten up by western soldiers who are supposed to be helping them.

]]> By: Gregory Block http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-874 Gregory Block Wed, 05 May 2004 17:15:37 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-874 Erm. If they are fakes: The mirror should get its butt sued off. If those photos turn out to be anything other than real, then the Mirror is directly responsible for endangering the lives of millions of people by falsely giving the world the impression that the brits were committing huge human rights violations. If a bomb went off tomorrow, thus undersigned as revenge for the acts taken in those British photos, and those photos turned out to be fake, everyone would visibly see that lives were lost because of those photos. The reality is, one way or the other, lives are being lost because of those photos; they are successfully, alongside the Americans' definite human rights violations, converting more moderates to hardline views. If the Mirror is wrong on this, and those photos aren't real, hang them from the yard arm, free press or no. If there's any culpability whatsoever, every family of every soldier killed after those photos were released should sue them in court for every haypenny the Mirror has made out of the sale of those papers, and more. I'm all for free press - but their freedom ends when innocent people die because they can't tell the difference between truth and a lie. Erm.

If they are fakes: The mirror should get its butt sued off. If those photos turn out to be anything other than real, then the Mirror is directly responsible for endangering the lives of millions of people by falsely giving the world the impression that the brits were committing huge human rights violations.

If a bomb went off tomorrow, thus undersigned as revenge for the acts taken in those British photos, and those photos turned out to be fake, everyone would visibly see that lives were lost because of those photos.

The reality is, one way or the other, lives are being lost because of those photos; they are successfully, alongside the Americans’ definite human rights violations, converting more moderates to hardline views.

If the Mirror is wrong on this, and those photos aren’t real, hang them from the yard arm, free press or no. If there’s any culpability whatsoever, every family of every soldier killed after those photos were released should sue them in court for every haypenny the Mirror has made out of the sale of those papers, and more. I’m all for free press - but their freedom ends when innocent people die because they can’t tell the difference between truth and a lie.

]]> By: Patrick Haseldine http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-873 Patrick Haseldine Tue, 04 May 2004 23:59:56 +0000 http://downingstreetsays.com/briefings/2004/05/04/501#comment-873 Thank goodness the Daily Mirror published the photographs - fakes or not! It means that now the Brits cannot be pressured into taking over the peace-keeping role in Iraq from the Americans, as would otherwise have been the case. We are thus spared putting thousands more British troops into an arena which is fraught with danger, and for what useful purpose ultimately? Thank goodness the Daily Mirror published the photographs - fakes or not! It means that now the Brits cannot be pressured into taking over the peace-keeping role in Iraq from the Americans, as would otherwise have been the case.

We are thus spared putting thousands more British troops into an arena which is fraught with danger, and for what useful purpose ultimately?

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