As Peter Rojas points out in Engadget, it was not actually a mainstream news source which first reported Rumsfeld as saying: “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.” That statement was actually a satirical story from The Daily Farce.

Now, a series of other reports and comments have followed, suggesting that reality may have imitated comedy. Over the weekend, several news items appeared, which seem to quote Rumsfeld, but actually use the phrase from The Daily Farce word for word. —Guy Kewney —Did Rumsfeld ban Iraq camera phones? (Register)