The Boston Globe Runs Faked Photos of Rape in Iraq: May, 2004

The Boston Globe runs faked photos of rape in Iraq
"Boston residents got more than they bargained for this morning when their copy of the Globe came complete with graphic photographic images depicting U.S. troops gang-raping Iraqi women. Problem is the photos are fake. They were taken from pornographic websites and disseminated by anti-American propagandists. [...] "I'm surprised the editor even decided we should write about it [...] Somehow it got through all our checks. Our publisher's not having a very good day today.""
[WorldNet Daily]
[Scan of the Boston Globe image via Matt Drudge]

Boston Herald: Globe caught with pants down: 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. 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."
[Boston Herald]

Globe offers editorial appology: May 14, 2004
The editorial points a finger at the source of the photos without discussing the editorial process by which the images—being offered by citizens rather than more trusted news sources—were vetted by the paper itself:
"The recent actions of Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner were reckless and inflammatory. With no regard for truth or consequences, Turner unveiled graphic photographs at a Tuesday press conference, suggesting that the images portrayed the rape of Iraqi women by US soldiers. The display was an all-time low for a member of the City Council. Turner, now in his third term, used twisted logic to justify the photo array. While stopping short of claiming authenticity, Turner argued that "the American people have a right and responsibility to see the pictures" in light of recent revelations regarding abuse of Iraqi prisoners."
[Globe Editorial and an article from the paper's ombudsman.]

Comments

[Daniel Agiru]

Dear Sir/Madam,

May I have some rape pictures in Iraq during
the crises?

[dadan]

looking many picture rape in iraq