IP: 'Cam-phones in Iraq' story may be fake

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: jm () jmason org (Justin Mason)
Date: May 24, 2004 7:58:18 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: IP: 'Cam-phones in Iraq' story may be fake

Hello Dave -- for IP,

It seems the 'US bans camera phones in Iraq' as reported by AFP via
NEWS.com.au, may have originated from a UK newspaper picking
up a story from 'The Daily Farce', a satire site.

Notably, I haven't seen it reported anywhere apart from via the AFP
newswire.


A British newspaper named "The Business" which we, at The Daily Farce
News, could not track down printed a story on Sunday May 23, 2004 that
allegedly quoted a Pentagon source saying that Donald Rumsfeld
prohibited digital cameras in Iraq. This story was then picked up by the
AFP and published as a story on their site, which was then picked up by
other news sites (see links below at the end of this story) throughout
Europe.

The Daily Farce News published a very similar story on May 6, 2004
(almost 3 weeks ago) announcing, of course, as a satirical story, that
Donald Rumsfeld would prohibit digital cameras and cell phones with
cameras in Iraq (see related story at the end of this article).

Was this a coincidence? Has our made up story become true now? Or did
someone screw up and think our story was a real story? Or is Marcelo
Lewin, the famous (in his own mind) satirical writer at The Daily Farce
News, a person that can see the future and has amazing ESP powers?

The quote on the real AFP story (of Sunday May 23rd) states the
following:

"Digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras have been
prohibited in military compounds in Iraq," it said, adding that a "total
ban throughout the US military" is in the works.

Our story of May 6th, has the following quote:

He continued "Further, to protect the Iraqi prisoners from any future
abuses; any digital cameras, camcorders, or cell phones with cameras are
strictly prohibited anywhere in any military compound in Iraq."

Of course, the quote in our story is completely fake. But doesn't the
quote in the "real" AFP story seem a bit close to ours?

http://www.thedailyfarce.com/national.cfm?story=2004/05/national_mrlewinhasesppowers_05200400027

--j.