Did This Really Happen?

This is already relatively old news, but interesting nonetheless. Besides, I am sure not all of you are aware of it.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations have issued the following news brief:

Muslim advocacy group Monday urged Pentagon officials to investigate an Internet picture, which it says is tarnishing the U.S. image among Muslims.

The photograph shows U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Ted Boudreaux Jr. standing next to two Iraqi boys, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations said. One of the boys holds a cardboard sign that reads “Cpl. Boudreaux killed my Dad, (then) he knocked up my sister!”

The photo has been circulating around the Internet for at least a month.

“We’re asking was it legitimate, what were the circumstances … or was it a joke?” said council spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.

Boudreaux is a reservist with Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marines. The New Orleans-based infantry unit deployed to the Kut area of Iraq in May and returned home in mid-September.

Marine Corps spokesmen said an investigation is under way, but its results may not be released for another week or two.

Here is the offending photo:

And here is another version in which the sign reads “Cpl. Boudreaux saved my Dad. He then rescued my sister!”

I am not going to automatically decry this as an obvious hoax, since there is a chance that the first version is in fact the original one. If this is the case, then it is important to condemn such conduct in unequivocal fashion. It is morally reprehensible, and harms the noble cause in Iraq.

On the other hand, the investigation has not yet been concluded, so reporting like this, which has already found Cpl. Boudreaux guilty, is also unacceptable:

Unfortunately, Lcpl Boudreaux took this opportunity to humiliate two unsuspecting children and further sour relations with the Arab community by having one of the boys hold up a sign that reads “Lcpl Boudreaux killed my Dad, th(en) he knocked up my sister!”

Troops may have responsibilities, but so do journalists.