US Army sent fake Iraq letters
15.27PM BST, 14 Oct 2003 ITV.COM
"This is all evidence, that the work we are doing is bettering the lives of Kirkuk's citizens. I am proud of the work we are doing here in Iraq and I hope all of your readers are as well" - US Army letter
The US Army is at the centre of a PR nightmare after a stunt aimed at showing how life has improved for Iraqis dramatically backfired.
Letters claimed to have been written by American troops documenting their successes in northern Iraq and printed in US newspapers have now been deemed as fakes.
Each of the 12 letters, whose contents are identical, were signed by different soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry.
They tell how Kirkuk, around 145 miles northeast of Baghdad, has been transformed since the war, despite the city suffering regular attacks since Saddam Hussein was toppled.
Lines in the letters include: "There is very little trash in the streets, many more people in the markets and shops and children have returned to school."
Another said: "This is all evidence, that the work we are doing is bettering the lives of Kirkuk's citizens. I am proud of the work we are doing here in Iraq and I hope all of your readers are as well."
The fraud was discovered when two letters arrived at the same newspaper in Washington state.
And now, the US commander of the 2nd Battalion in northern Iraq has now admitted the letter-writing campaign was all his idea.
Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Caraccilo tried to play down the hoopla saying it had given soldiers "an opportunity to let their respective home towns know what they are accomplishing here in Kirkuk."
The original letter was written by his staff, edited by him and then passed onto the soldiers. Lt Col Caraccilo said that some had chosen to send them home while some had not.
Amy Connell, the mother of one of the soldiers said to have signed a letter, said she knew the words were not those of her son Adam.
Mrs Connell she said had no problem sending it to a newspaper in Boston because it "accurately reflects what's going on in Kirkuk."
But, the newspaper's editor said he was disappointed to learn it had been printed.
"Our readers have a right to expect letters that are originals," he said.
AND THIS:
Message 19393357 |
