WorldNetDaily (WND) published an exclusive report: “Bogus GI rape photos used as Arab propaganda” (05/04/04). They reveal in their report that the alleged sexual assault images claimed to be of crimes committed by US soldiers were actually found on porn sites.
They write: “Graphic photos appearing on Arabic websites of U.S. servicemen raping and sexually abusing Iraqi women were actually taken from American and Hungarian pornography sites.” The propaganda originated, WorldNetDaily alleges, from the Tunisian web site, Albasrah.net.
WND states: ” A WND investigation has revealed that most of the photos are taken from the American pornographic website ‘Iraq Babes,’ and the Hungarian site, ‘Sex in War,’ which is linked to by the American site. Both websites are linked to by violent pornography sites and both describe Iraqi women — played by ‘actresses’ — in vulgar terms.”
Linda MacNew of MacNew Enterprises, in Hop Bottom, PA., apparently registered the “Iraq Babes” site in April 2003 according to WND.
WND concludes: “Iraqi sources told WND that while they now understand the rape photos are fake, they fear incidents of sexual assault and rape by coalition troops may have occurred or could occur.”
UPDATE: 10:12pm: 05/07/09: An interesting footnote to this 2004 case. The WND also reported that the Boston Globe published the bogus rape images. Go to the WND story. (05/12/04).
They stated that there was no official correction but the Globe’s ombudsman, Christine Chinlund, sent the “following e-mail reply” to a reader: ‘ The Globe should not have run the photo. It appeared as the result of a miscommunication between photo staffers, and a collapse of the usual ‘checks and balances’ system. In my next column I will provide a more detailed explanation of how this lamentable mistake happened.’ “