US Army News Service: Coalition forces keep streets of Iraq safe

The US Army propagandists must be tearing their hair out right now.

In an article on the US Army News Service website dated 09 December 2005 entitled "Coalition forces keep streets of Iraq safe" by Spc. George Welcome, the accompanying photo (above) shows "Pfc. Steven Green, B Co. 1-502" preparing "to blast a lock off the gate of an abandoned home during a search of homes in Mullah Fayed on Dec. 2."

The article goes on to say:

"YUSUFIYAH, Iraq (Army News Service, Dec. 9, 2005) – Soldiers from Task Force Baghdad, alongside Iraqi forces, constantly search the streets and alleyways of Baghdad and surrounding communities for weapons, insurgents and anti-coalition propaganda. The searches are thorough, yet the Soldiers still respect people's rights and property. “I feel that our patrols make a difference,” said Sgt. Kenneth Casica. “I guess the patrols make the insurgents nervous because they know…we'll push them out of this area to make the people feel safe.”"

Little did the US Army propagandists know that 3 months later that the very same Pfc. Steven Green would be charged with the heinous crime of raping and murdering a 14 year old Iraqi girl, murdering her 6 year old sister and parents. That is why presumably the photo has now been withdrawn. Just compare the Google cache of the original article to the current one.

Strangely enough, the BBC decided to use the very same photo in its sparse article on the affair, proving conclusively that their information is no different than that given by the US Army Public Affairs website. Their caption? "Steven Green faces a possible death penalty if convicted"

I have sent a complaint to the BBC regarding their online article which can be read here.