U.S. calls for Arab retractions

The day after a WorldNetDaily report revealed that photos circulating in the Middle East that depict GI's raping Iraqi women were fake and had originated from pornography sites, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a statement calling on Arab news outlets to publish retractions.

The embassy statement read, "We have done a thorough investigation of the origin of these photos and have conclusive evidence that they originated on a pornographic web site. They are clearly staged photos, done by actors, as the site itself states."

The Al Wafd newspaper published four photographs on the top of its front page that were alleged to show American soldiers sexually abusing female prisoners in Iraq. Al Osboa and Al Mussawer published two of the same photos

The U.S. Embassy called the publication of these pornographic photos, with headlines alleging the involvement of U.S. soldiers, a "fundamental violation of journalistic integrity," and stated that their publication needlessly inflamed an already heated atmosphere.

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"All Americans were appalled and shocked by the incidents of abuse that took place at Abu Ghraib prison," the statement read, "President Bush said he was disgusted by what took place there, and National Security Advisor Rice offered America's apologies to the Iraqi people. Just as the United States government itself undertook a thorough investigation of these incidents, so will our government bring those found guilty to justice. There is no excuse for the kind of abuse perpetrated by a small minority of people at Abu Ghraib. However, neither do such abuses justify exacerbating the situation by publishing fake photos and claims designed to raise the emotional temperature even further."

Related stories:

Fake rape photos infuriate Arab world

Porn site depicting ‘GI rapes' shut down

Bogus GI rape photos used as Arab propaganda

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