±±¾©Èü³µpk10

Morgan could face being quizzed by MPs about his decision to publish the photographs, which critics claim are putting the lives of British soldiers in Iraq at risk.

Labour MP Janet Anderson said Morgan should resign as editor if they proved to be fake. Another Labour MP Mark Hendrick said last night that if the photographs proved not to be real, the Mirror would become known as the "dodgy daily".

In a statement to the House of Commons last night armed forces minister Adam Ingram told MPs that "no stone would be left unturned" in the investigation into the pictures. He also raised the concern that the paper had put lives on the line.

"There is always the question of lives being put at risk because of what might prove to be unfounded allegations," Ingram said.

The Daily Mirror has refused to back down from its allegations despite many experts believing that the pictures are fakes. The paper has also refused to name its sources although it has handed over 20 pictures to the Ministry of Defence.

The chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, Bruce George, said last night that Morgan's appearance before MPs would help "clear the air" because of the "intense interest".

In an interview on Channel 4 News, George said: "I shall put before the members of the committee the option of inviting the editor of the Mirror to come before us to explain how he got hold of the pictures."

He added that Morgan would be asked if any payment was made for the photos, if he was convinced the pictures were genuine and what efforts he had made to check their authenticity.

The Mirror published the pictures at the weekend claiming British troops had been abusing Iraqi prisoners. The allegations came on the heels of certifiably genuine pictures of American troops abusing Iraqis.

The Daily Mirror's pictures have been said by many experts to appear fake, with the equipment shown different to that being used by British troops in Iraq.

This morning the Mirror said that it still believed the truth of the story and the pictures that substantiate it. "That gives us no pleasure. On the contrary, we, like the squaddies who came to us, are shocked by what went on," the paper said in a editorial.

However, the paper came in for heavy criticism from the public commenting on the story on the BBC website, as people asked why it published the pictures knowing that they would put the lives of British troops at risk in Iraq.

"Faked or not, it's totally irresponsible of the Mirror to publish anything which places our troops in jeopardy," said one man.

A former soldier commented: "I believe the Mirror photographs to be fake and shame on them for putting more Brit soldiers' lives at risk."

"The Mirror had no right to publish them. They should have gone straight to the appropriate powers for further investigation. The Mirror has now put British soldiers and civilians in Iraq, as well as those of us in the UK, in even more danger than before," said SK from Bristol.

The Royal Military Police is investigating in the UK, Basra and in Cyprus, where the Queen's Lancashire Regiment is based.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .