The photo of Iraqis and Saddam Hussein's statue in Fardus Square that some commentators said were the war's definitive image
Fake crowd scenes and photos Iraq
A Tale of Two Photos
You have probably seen the photos of the statue of Saddam Hussein being
toppled, and TV footage of jubilant Iraqis rolling the bronze head around,
bringing back memories of so many previous popular uprisings – 1989, 1956,
1953...
If there is one thing this war has taught us all, it's that we can't believe
what we're told. For Donald Rumsfeld these were "breathtaking". For the British
Army they were "historic". For BBC Radio they were "amazing".
A wide angle shot in which you can see the whole of Fardus Square (conveniently
located just opposite the Palestine Hotel where the international media are
based), and the presence of at most around 200 people – most of them US troops
(note the tanks and armored vehicles) and assembled journalists.
The BBC website had the honesty to say that "dozens" of Iraqis were involved,
but this grain of truth was swamped by the overwhelming impression of mass joy.
The radio and TV were even worse.
This was a US Army propaganda coup, staged for the benefit of the same
journalists it had bombed the day previously, and which the British media have
swallowed hook line and sinker.
Shame on them.
The photo of Iraqis and Saddam Hussein's statue in Fardus Square that some
commentators said were the war's definitive image
But things look a little different when seen in perspective