Brits and Yanks 'are supposed to be more civilized'

reuters: Iraq abuse images aggravate Arab hostility to West

Arabs said on Thursday new images of U.S. troops abusing Iraqi prisoners had eroded their respect for the West and would fuel the fury raging over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

The photographs made headline news in the Middle East the day after an Australian television station broadcast previously unpublished film and photographs of violations at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail.

They could not have emerged at a worse time for the West's image in the region. Emotions were already running high over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad published in European newspapers. Footage aired this week of British soldiers beating Iraqi youths two years ago has also stoked Arab anger.

"This is awful because I always look up to the British and Americans as the best in the world," said Kuwaiti firefighter Khalil al-Amir. "They are supposed to be more civilized. But when I see something like this it makes me think twice." Read more