Doubts Cast on Abuse by British Soldiers

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Sunday that a high-level investigation was underway into photographs that apparently showed British soldiers abusing an Iraqi detainee. But sources close to the regiment concerned raised doubts over the images’ authenticity.

The Daily Mirror newspaper published five black-and-white photographs Saturday of British troops who it said were kicking, stomping and urinating on a hooded Iraqi in Basra, Iraq.

The newspaper said Sunday that it had no doubts about the authenticity of the photographs. “We carried out our own checks and we are happy with them,” a spokeswoman said.

The Mirror said it obtained the photographs from two unidentified soldiers in the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment. In today’s Mirror, the soldiers stood by their story, and one said that “hundreds of pictures” were taken depicting the abuse.

But the BBC quoted sources close to the regiment as saying aspects of the photographs were suspicious. For example, they said the type of rifle and the floppy hats pictured were not used by troops in Iraq. Britain has about 7,500 soldiers in the country.