http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4513440.stm
Grr…
Words almost fail me. These photos caused irreperable damage. And the craven cretins at the CPS won’t prosecute.
Grr…
How could you? Oh, it’s so easy to say, “But we haven’t been given enough evidence.” So d*mn well make do with what you’ve got. You’re the legal experts. And if the alleged culprits are innocent, well, it’s actually important that they be so found.
Dammit.
I’m going to stop now, before I start swearing.
And doesn’t that take the flaming biscuit: the Google Ad is for a humour writing workshop! Grrr
Hell in the US we put people who do things like that in charge of Presidential campaigns (can you spell R-O-V-E). Putting a guy like that in jail, that’s just a waste of evil.
I agree that faking and distributing these photos was irresponsible, even reprehensible.
But what law was broken? I’m inferring that if the case was handed over to the CPS, it would have to be a violation of criminal law, not the UK equivalent of the US Uniform Code of Military Justice. What charges were possible for a court martial?
A legal question: The article says the potential charge would have been “obtaining property by deception”. What property is being referred to, money in exchange for selling the pics?
Revtim, I read the BBC article too quickly and missed that sentence. I suppose selling the pictures to the Daily Mirror on the basis that they were genuine might constitute a kind of fraud.
My post wasn’t a response to you, I guess we actually simulposted. I just had the question after reading the article.
I know it wasn’t a response to me, but I was (awkwardly) thanking you for setting me straight anyway.
Well, you’re welcome! (unintentionally and awkwardly) 
Quite apart from the ‘obtaining property by deception’, treason comes to mind, as in aiding an enemy. But I’m no lawyer.
Treason??!?! Chill out Maurice. Next thing you know you’ll want to execute anti-war protestors.
The people who faked the pictures destroyed much of the trust the British forces had built up. They destroyed the work of years. No, Treason is not treating it too lightly.
Indeed? I would have thought that the British troops who actually did torture Iraqi detainees were a lot more responsible for destroying trust in the the British military. Are we going to lynch those guys for torture?
Don’t be such a bender :rolleyes:
As Piers Morgan said at the time, whether or not the pics were technically genuine doesn’t matter - what matters (morally) is that they depict events that were taking place at the time.
Our “brave troops” are engaged in an illegal occupation of a sovereign nation, and have engaged in some despicable acts (usually with impunity).
If it makes the british public wake up and see what abuses are being carried out in their name, then the Mirror can publish as many of those pics as they like.
If you’re going to be talking about treason, you’ll want to concentrate on those troops kidnapping and murdering Iraqi civillians, rather than enterprising squaddies faking a couple of photos.
The case was dropped due to lack of evidence. Are you suggesting the CPS should have pursued a losing case because of your moral compass? Bent the evidence, perhaps, to make the charges stick?
If ‘treason’ were the charge offered by the crown, who would be guilty of it? Do you suggest stringing up Piers Morgan, who was the one that printed them, for damaging the war effort?
0.5/10 for the rant (a half point grudgingly awarded for hitting the ‘Submit Message’ button correctly).
He would say that, wouldn’t he? Doesn’t mean he’s right.
Bollocks. I happen to disagree with our presence, but I understand what we’re trying to do and accept it.
I think you need to substitute ‘insurgents’ for ‘troops’.
You really don’t understand, do you? I work with lots of ex-military, including people who were out there, and they were aghast.
So because a lot of your ex-squaddie mates were “aghast” means it doesn’t happen?
Sure, those fighting the invaders have some despicable tactics, but there’s plenty of cases of UK troops engaging in murder, kidnapping and torture - just 'cos they’re Brits doesn’t mean we should condone that sort of behavour.
And FTR I have close family currently in Basra, and I’ve heard first-hand some of the shit that happens in “our” name…
Fake but accurate. Ok, got it.
While the idea of stringing up Piers Morgan is bound to appeal to any right-thinking person, I have to say … if there’s not enough evidence, the CPS can’t prosecute; and, the word “treason” is getting slung about far too casually these days.
That’s the reason no-one kicked up a stink when the pics were first published - it was pretty common knowledge (certainly in the armed forces) that this kind of thing was happening.
The military had been expecting something like this to come out sooner or later - it was only when people looked at the detail of the photos (wrong trucks etc) that they started to have doubts about these particular images.
But the fact that these images were faked does not automatically mean abuse didn’t happen - Piers Morgan is a proper weasel, but he did the UK a service publishing those pics and at least making people ask the question.