Photographs allegedly showing British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners were faked in a UK Territorial Army barracks, it has been claimed.

Sources told the Daily Telegraph that the images were staged in a Bedford MK lorry at Kimberley Barracks in Preston, Lancashire, apparently by members of the TA.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has admitted that the controversial pictures published in the Daily Mirror appeared "increasingly like a hoax".

Mirror editor Piers Morgan said the newspaper did not accept that the Ministry of Defence had proved that the photographs - one of which appeared to show a soldier urinating on a prisoner and striking him with a rifle - were faked.

An MoD spokeswoman described the barracks claim as "totally speculative".

"The information is not from an official source," she said.

"It's one individual giving his opinion. I don't know whether it's true or not.

"The Special Investigation Branch are conducting a report. They have not concluded their report so we're unable to comment."

Kimberley Barracks is home to the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers - the local Territorial Army infantry unit for Lancashire and Cumbria.

Interviewed on Channel 4 News, Mr Hoon said: "Certainly, that is the evidence that we have, that this particular truck was not in Iraq. It is now really a matter for the Daily Mirror to indicate whether they are willing to co-operate, as they said they would do, in now investigating what looks increasingly like a hoax."

I totally believe that the claims of torture are complete bollox

fooking w*nker journalists talking sh*te as usual. fancy making those claims against the qlr. now if it was rgj then i would understand LOL



On the 8th day God created Ben-Britain and he took over!


"when I get home people'll ask me,'hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? Just some war junkie?' Ya know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
SGT 1st Class Norman Hooten

People often forget that soldiers are a different breed and it is too easy to bash them in the heat of the moment.  Despite the rhetoric of people volunteering, the fact of the matter is that the majority of the troops there don't want to be in a sh!thole that is Iraq.  Consider the fact the troops guarding the prison are mostly reservists (who probably left behind better lives in the continental United States) and combine that with the miseries that go with the job (bureaucratic mismanagement, lack of proper equipment, colleagues/friends under attack, chicken hawk politicians, etc.) PLUS the lack of direct oversight, and it is very easy for troops to just snap and lose that discipline.  In fact, a little thing like delayed or lost mail is enough to make a trooper snap.  We saw this with the Canadian Airborne Regiment in Somalia.  And we have seen many instances of this in the world wars, Korea, Vietnam, etc.

All of that being said though, I still think that Lyddie England has zero excuses based on the precedents set.  And even though a private has the legal right to arrest even a General/Admiral committing a war crime, how many believe, realistically, that a private will have the guts to actually do such a thing?  Or, at a lower level, if a Lieutenant saved the life of a private one day, and then the next day this same private sees this Lt banging (raping?) some chic (even if it's against orders,) do you really think the private will rat the Lt out?  IMHO, I think the private will just turn a blind eye and say tell the Lt later, "we're even."

i really don't think its that bad. lets remember that wars are getting more and more telebision coverage and the goings on come into the public eye which for many is a first time experience and an awakening into the truths of war which they can't handle. of course prisoners get tough treatment, they will get stripped naked and p*ssed on that i am quite sure of. i think you must be a completely ignorant prat to think that prisoners won't get a bloody good kicking every now again. it happenes, this is a fact. the difference is now as i have said that with todays technology the realities come live on your tv screen and the fluffy people of the world who think we are fighting against peace loving hippies cry blue murder.

what is happening there is nothing new and infact is very tame. lets compare that to the allied prisoners held by the japanesse in asia shall we. there is no comparison. can you image those pictures back then being broadcast on the 6 o'clock news tonight. sh*t happens in war this is a fact. bottom line is from what i have seen the american and the british are showing great restraint in very testing times for young soldiers. the iraqi could have far worse invading armies



On the 8th day God created Ben-Britain and he took over!


"when I get home people'll ask me,'hey Hoot, why do ya do it man? Why? Just some war junkie?' Ya know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is."
SGT 1st Class Norman Hooten

Exactly,the US/UK could really unload if they wanted to.They are doing a remarkable job.Shows what professionalism is all about.

I remember one time at the Kable Club at CFB Valcartier (have any of you been there?) there was a paratrooper from the Royal 22nd Regiment having a few beers with his buddies.  Rough guy, didn't think much of reservists, but then all of the sudden there were some balloons being popped.  This guy went into his IA drills (fortunately he couldn't do "double tap" ) and all of the sudden, he didn't seem so tough, having lost some dignity.

All of that to say that repeated deployments knawed away at his discipline and good sense, and it probably isn't much easier for those on a year++ long deployment in Iraq.  A trooper's fustration has to be expelled somehow and roughing up prisoners is just one of the ways.