Piers Morgan, editor of Britain’s Daily Mirror, has been fired for publishing fake Iraqi abuse photos.

Despite mounting expert criticism of the pictures, and a statement by the government Thursday that they were fake, Morgan insisted his stories of abuse by troops were accurate.

“The pictures accurately illustrated the reality about the appalling conduct of some British troops,” he said.

But Friday, newspaper owners Trinity Mirror threw in the towel and threw out their editor.

The statement by the board said the newspaper published the photographs “in good faith” and “absolutely believed” at the time they were genuine.

“However there is now sufficient evidence to suggest that these pictures are fakes and that the Daily Mirror has been the subject of a calculated and malicious hoax.”