A commenter on the WMD post provided a link to some very disturbing photographs of alleged rape of Iraqi women by American soldiers. The top selection of pictures you will recognize as those involving an investigation into Brigadier-General Janis Karpinski and those under her command.
Scroll down, however, and there is another set of photographs that Albasrah alleges to have received from a reader (caution: sexually explicit photographs, not safe for work):
The Abu Ghraib Prison Photos (UPDATE: This link is broken now, as the site appears to have been taken down. The pictures are spread out in various locations in the internet but I will see if I can find another link for them).
I have two immediate gut reactions to these pictures:
1. If they are real, the people responsible should be court-martialed and executed.
2. Albasrah may have a vested interest in faking such information to make the U.S. look bad.
Rather than discuss the possible truth of these pictures, let me discuss what I notice about them that makes me believe they are fake (excluding the bottom two, which I think are probably real):
1. Blurry images
Most of these pictures are taken at a close range, yet they are out of focus. Getting past the question of why soldiers would be stupid enough to take pictures of stuff like this (we’ve already established that Brigadier-General Karpinski’s soldiers were), I have to ask why are they blurry? To disguise the ethnicity of the soldiers? Bad quality camera? Karpinski’s pictures were sharp and clear.
The soldiers do sort of hide their faces in some of the pics, but in others, their features are blurred out just enough to make ethnicity uncertain. Also, in some of the pics where their faces are not covered, they are wearing camo face paint to further disguise their features.
And is it just me, or does the woman in picture 5 look rather, um, Asian to be an Iraqi pow?
2. “Porno Film” body language
I’ve watched a fair bit of commercial porno in my time, as well as some “amateur” porno done by people who aren’t experienced. The commercial stuff has some hallmarks, particularly in the way the actors position their bodies for the benefit of the camera.
Notice in picture 3 how the man on the far right has his body angled slightly toward the camera, one hand on the woman’s rump and the other arm pulled back out of the way. That’s not a natural body position for sexual intercourse. It is, however, very typical of staged pornography, in order to give the camera the best view of the action. Picture 4 shows a little of this, too. I can’t really explain beyond saying that the man on the right, who appears to be the same one as the man discussed in picture 3, is exhibiting what one might call “porno actor’s stance”.
In picture 8, two of the men have removed their trousers entirely, but are still wearing their boots and socks. Huh? That seems pretty awkward to do when they could just shove their pants down to get them out of the way. It is, however, a common feature of porno films intended to preserve the military “fetish” look of the boots.
And finally, in picture 9, the man on the far left has his body angled back toward the camera to give a nice view of the penetration, and has considerately moved his arm back out of the way in the classic “hand on hip” pose common in porno.
3. “Comfort” trappings for the “victim”
Notice in that pictures where the woman is kneeling or lying on the ground, that there is a blanket neatly spread out there for her comfort. That’s something unobtrusive that is commonly done in porno films, but it seems rather odd for these cruel rapists to have gone to such trouble.
4. Generic uniforms
The men are wearing camouflage fatigues, but if you look closely, they are completely generic. There are no patches, no markings, no flag or other identifying insignia that American uniforms (or probably any country’s uniforms) would have on them.
Come to that, these guys are all wearing forest and jungle camo. In Iraq? Dude, we all know that our soldiers over there are wearing the desert camo pattern. It’s visible in the last 2 pictures (which are probably real, unfortunately) and all the images sent to us by the media. What kind of idiot wears green jungle camo in a pale tan desert environment? Also, they’re not wearing helmets. I guess the folks staging the pictures couldn’t find any that looked real.
That gun in picture 8 doesn’t look like any of the issued military weapons I’ve seen in pictures of our soldiers. It definitely doesn’t look like an M-16.
So, in conclusion, I call bullshit on pictures 1-9 in that second set. Those are fake as hell, and not very good fakes either.
UPDATE 8/23/04: Just so people know, requests to “send me all these pics plz” will not be honored. I’m not going to email them to you. When I finally put them up they will not be capturable or downloadable. I’m not interested in helping you with your fetish, or providing ammo to the America-haters.
May 2nd, 2004 at 8:05 pm - Edit
a bunch of those are some video thats been floating around for a while, not Iraq, not real soldiers, etc. (the ones with the guy in the blue hat)
May 3rd, 2004 at 2:31 pm - Edit
Those are nearly all asinine and obvious fakes, while those that are not as obvious are what might be called dubious at best.
I can tell you that the ones where the soldiers are represented wearing DCUs seem real, though the circumstances under which those photos were taken are not explained or at any point brought under scrutiny with any sort of evidence or even the barest hint of obviously legitimizing commentary.
I hereby declare that the bullshit-o-meter is binging and ticking up a ruckus.
May 4th, 2004 at 10:43 am - Edit
Imagine that. Pictures from an entirely anaonymous email, unsourced, are fakes.
Go figure.
May 4th, 2004 at 10:48 am - Edit
try
May 4th, 2004 at 1:58 pm - Edit
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/03/iraq.photos/index.html
That links takes you to some more information on this. Even if it is run by CNN *shudder*.
Adam
May 5th, 2004 at 9:25 am - Edit
Via Instapundit and not through CNN, confirmed fakes.
Al-Bashwatever has supposedly taken the pictures down now, too.
May 5th, 2004 at 5:21 pm - Edit
so how do you address this now that the president’s got an inquiry going and his administration has acknowledged that there was torture?
May 5th, 2004 at 8:58 pm - Edit
Kate, please pay attention. If you actually read my post you will note that the website in question had 2 sets of photographs. The top (first) set are real, and the second set are fakes with the possible exception of the final two pictures.
As Sigivald has noted, Adult Video News is on to this and has helpfully provided info concerning the actual porno the pics are taken from.
May 6th, 2004 at 5:22 pm - Edit
So some of the pics are fake, so we can quietly sweep it under the carpet because God knows, American and British soldiers are The Good Guys and perish the thought that they could ever do such a thing…it’s evil enemy or leftist propaganda.
Oh, come *on*. You can bet your bottom dollar it goes on, because it does and has done from time immemorial in *every* theatre of war and occupation zone, ever. There is no earthly reason why this should be an exception.
May 7th, 2004 at 11:59 am - Edit
Brilliant “argument” there, realist.
I don’t recall anyone suggesting that American Soldiers Can Never Commit Crimes.
In fact, Anne was explicit in her contention that the first set of photos was real. That’s not sweeping under the carpet. That’s facing up to reality. I suggest you try it, it’s very effective.
Is it now evidence of pollyanna-ish BushWorship to condemn fakes? If not, what’s the god-damn problem? If so, well, lots of luck with that.
May 7th, 2004 at 1:26 pm - Edit
Is it true that 300+ Iraqi-school girls were rounded up and raped by American troops? Does anyone have evidence of this? I have heard directly from the mouths of U.S. Marines who were sent to Iraq in the early part of 2004 that two U.S. soldiers raped an 13-year-old Iraqi girl they found in a Baghdad suburb.
After they successfully raped her. She indicated that she would not tell, out of shame for the defilement, her parents. This action set off a chain of reported rapes where U.S. soldiers stationed in and around Baghdad sought out night raids and began raping junior and high school girls because they KNEW the girls would be ashamed of reporting the crimes.
I am in search of the photos of Iraqi women, girls and children who were raped, beaten, stripped naked by Marines, who said that they took some pictures of a group of girls who were kidnapped by their unit and later raped, beaten and later sold to brothel owners in Kuwait City and Turkey for about $600.00 a piece?
You will be compensated handsomely, $1,000.00 per picture. If you have any information post an email I can send a proposal to.
Thanks,
K.K.
May 7th, 2004 at 4:31 pm - Edit
I cant see iraq-pow adressed page and images. where can i find it?
May 7th, 2004 at 9:12 pm - Edit
FUCK YOU MOTHER FUCKERS THAT SHIT IS REAL YOU JEWISH SOB TRYING TO HIDE THE TRUTH, FOR ONCE PPL CAN SEE WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN THE IRAQI WAR!!! THERES NO WAY ANYONE WILL ALLOW THESE AMERICAN PIECES OF SHIT TO BRING “DEMOCRACY” INTO THEIR NATIONS. IRAQ TREATED US SOLDIERS IN AN HONORABLE FASHION LOOK WHAT THEY GET IN RETURN …….. FUCK YOUS
May 10th, 2004 at 3:02 am - Edit
I just came across your forum that I haven’t known of it before. I just want to comment on your analytical report on the rape pictures of the iraqi women by the American troups. Here is a commercial site I came across when I was searching for the truth of the matter. Just read the advertisement text written beside the rape photos on the website: http://www.wgsact.net/
Reading it, it just tells me that even if the whole rape thing is staged it was done to real iraqi women who are not enjoying the humiliation and sickness at all. What cruelty
May 10th, 2004 at 12:18 pm - Edit
Oh come on, Cleo, don’t be naive. It gets advertised that way because that’s the fetish the buyer is looking for. “Real” rape scenes. You’ll see the same kind of advertising at most porno sites regarding the non-consensual fetishes. Those women get paid to act like they’re upset and afraid.
I’ve even seen “behind the scenes” footage of American-made porno like this. The woman is all crying and pleading and then the director yells “cut!” and suddenly the two actors just stop and start chatting.
May 12th, 2004 at 3:13 pm - Edit
maybe u should go back to your time of watchin porno, i bet it will help u knowin the truth, maybe u forgot how it goes and i suggest WEAR GLASSES and loose the smily face….Really i’ve got alot to say and alot i can convince u with but i ain’t gonna waist it with a horney ignorant jerk who cant see well…
May 12th, 2004 at 3:52 pm - Edit
Harley has been banned for comment spamming (and also for being an incoherent idiot who can’t spell).
May 13th, 2004 at 12:37 am - Edit
I have see the pictures, Anne’s analysis is 100% correct. Those are cheap “porn” pics propably custom made to suit todays war, but cheap. They did not do their homework efficiently. They propably made millions of dirty money from naive people by becoming members. If you see “www.sexinwar.com” you will understand. But please do not subscribe because it is not worth it!!
May 13th, 2004 at 12:42 am - Edit
I must add that bad behavior and some atrocities have been commited by some narrow minded soldiers who deserve a capital punishment for fueling the killing rage in Iraq, but to lie and fake picyures to make dirty dollors that would be as bad as really raping women. I am Arabic and outraged by the Abu Ghraib humiliations, but I can tell the real photo from a fake one.
May 13th, 2004 at 2:02 am - Edit
You know what? I urge the uinted states and the Iraqi people to sue these porn sites that fabricate such pictures about iraqi women. If such scum would be made to pay millions of dollors as a compansation for what they caused, no other low life will have the courage to comit such bad acts!!
May 13th, 2004 at 11:11 am - Edit
The soldiers that had raped those iraqi women will perish by the hand of the most high. God is Holy and sees all things, make no mistake about it…Thoses soldiers will perish in the flammes of hell forever ! So they will know that you dont mock God !!
May 13th, 2004 at 8:52 pm - Edit
i need this photos
May 13th, 2004 at 9:26 pm - Edit
They are fakes you fools………One of the “soldiers” is wearing 70’s era floresheim shoes for fucks sake. US soldiers do not wear those shoes……….The BDU’s are wrong as well. Unless the weapons are M4 or M16 they are not US. The M4 is a shorter version of the M16 and otherwise looks the same/is the same.
May 14th, 2004 at 6:28 am - Edit
i would like to some of these pics that u say are fake with the us troops and the iraq women for my self sent to the above e-mail address
May 14th, 2004 at 2:03 pm - Edit
I am currently in the process of tracking down and collecting the pictures in question. They’re spread out all over the internet, but I have a good recollection of what they look like. I’ll be hosting them on my own site soon so people here will be able to look at them and see for themselves.
May 15th, 2004 at 1:12 pm - Edit
how dare them???????
May 16th, 2004 at 9:17 am - Edit
The Paper, Daily Mirror,that put them out just had a front page apology and FIRED the editor for the pictures. I saw them last week on a specialy Porn site where everyone dresses up in military garb. Different fetishes etc.
So all you islamo nazis will need to find something else to carp about for awhile.
May 16th, 2004 at 3:19 pm - Edit
Once again Anne, you have succeeded in totally blowing me away. Although I am not very active in these blogs, I’ve read most all of them, and I am very impressed. I, too, have been very concerned about the welfare of Iraqi POWs, and have debated for quite some time on the issue of whether or not many of the pictures were real. After reading this, there’s not point in even arguing about it. Keep up the good work.
May 20th, 2004 at 8:36 am - Edit
.. and little boys and little gals.. what have we learn from this? When you are off abusing people and killing them - like how Saddem and other middle eastern countries have done - DO NOT TAKE PICTURES!! No pictures.. no proof.
May 27th, 2004 at 7:11 am - Edit
i need to see photos
June 16th, 2004 at 12:57 am - Edit
a bunch of those are some video thats been floating around for a while, not Iraq, not real soldiers, etc. (the ones with the guy in the blue hat)
June 21st, 2004 at 7:28 pm - Edit
very bad
July 4th, 2004 at 4:37 am - Edit
hi
July 4th, 2004 at 12:25 pm - Edit
hi
send me all pictures
July 5th, 2004 at 3:02 pm - Edit
hi
i need to see all pics
July 7th, 2004 at 1:11 am - Edit
i wanna seee pix iraqi rape
August 23rd, 2004 at 4:54 am - Edit
send me all the pics pls!
August 23rd, 2004 at 11:43 am - Edit
Requests for me to email these pictures to anyone will not be honored. I’m not here to feed your fetishes.
There have been a number of comments posted to this thread that are of an abusive nature (cheering the rape of women, etc.) and which do not further the conversation. Such comments will be deleted.
April 3rd, 2005 at 5:54 am - Edit
I want to see all the pics
April 4th, 2005 at 12:06 am - Edit
Pls send me all the pictures of Iraqi rap.
April 25th, 2005 at 7:52 am - Edit
i wanna see all rape photos of Iraqi women by USA Army.
May 12th, 2005 at 10:49 am - Edit
vvv
June 2nd, 2005 at 2:28 pm - Edit
http://www.aztlan.net/iraqi_women_raped.htm
see this pic.s to know it was true
July 2nd, 2005 at 1:58 am - Edit
email me and our life may change
kschang@ms2.mmh.org.tw
July 4th, 2005 at 1:31 pm - Edit
i want see the photos of us army raping iraq woman
August 23rd, 2005 at 5:44 am - Edit
after I see the photos I can judge.
August 23rd, 2005 at 5:50 am - Edit
Pls. send me any avaialable photos just to add to my deep understanding and make a usefull comment, if you realy care
January 27th, 2006 at 12:49 am - Edit
how can i juge ???
February 6th, 2006 at 4:39 pm - Edit
Ugh. I have quickly (within a half hour or so) developed respect for this site. This conversation just destroyed some of that. It’s sick- if people want to go and find this stuff, that’s fine. But I honestly feel there is no reason for people to reference such things where peoplte that are obsessed with this sort of thing can easily find it.
Sorry. I just had to say that! Anyways, my point is that you can mention this stuff, talk about the legitimacy, but do not fel obligated to put links or anything to where you found it.
February 16th, 2006 at 5:11 am - Edit
The photos being discussed were proven to be fakes. They were screencaps of a Hungarian porn movie. Again, they are officially FAKES since 2004! Stop asking for them!
May 24th, 2006 at 7:40 am - Edit
send me all d extreme rape pictures..
June 11th, 2006 at 2:14 am - Edit
send me all brutal photos
July 13th, 2006 at 2:30 pm - Edit
As they were only being used as a false proof of preccedent, their validity is irrelevant now anyway after the 100% verifiable massacres, murders, rapes and human rights infringements. What is more concerning is that people cared more about these blatently false events than the real thing…
July 31st, 2006 at 5:38 am - Edit
send me all those pictures.i want to watch all
August 30th, 2006 at 3:00 am - Edit
nothing
September 10th, 2006 at 6:09 am - Edit
please send to me these photos
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:17 am - Edit
i wantto see the animalness of us
October 16th, 2006 at 5:20 pm - Edit
grt
December 7th, 2006 at 9:08 pm - Edit
it was a brutal act by american troops….please send some pics.
March 30th, 2007 at 9:06 pm - Edit
It really doesn’t mattar if the photoes of this Iraqi woman is true or fake.There are true photoes of men prisoners being abused.You can imagine what might happen to women prisoners, knowing the nature and quality of US soldiers who are working in Iraq.
To be honest, we can not tell that all Us soldiers are like this.I’m sure that among US soldiers there must be real humans who did help Iraqies.
I’m more concerned of those who are trying to cover up the crimes that really happened as if Iraqies are not humans.
My openion is that if they are under US custady, then they must be treated as if they were americans, according to american and international laws.
April 19th, 2007 at 2:50 am - Edit
i dont believ those picture.
April 21st, 2007 at 11:48 am - Edit
unable to quote anything
May 31st, 2007 at 12:24 am - Edit
Honestly people. They’ve been proven fake. And if you really want to find them you can probably find them with google so you should just stop asking for them here. All your doing is letting everyone else here know how perverted you are. Grow Up.
July 15th, 2007 at 8:00 am - Edit
i want to know the real one by us army, what they did there with muslim women.
October 1st, 2007 at 12:46 am - Edit
its really bad.send me all available pics relating the incident
October 4th, 2007 at 3:13 am - Edit
i wonder if that pictures were fake - someone could make lot’s of new ones since that time.. just to remind people what happens there in Iraq.
but none were made. so i’m affraid that it was not fake pictures. only real. damn
October 23rd, 2007 at 11:36 am - Edit
pls send me these pics