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With All the Fauxtography, What To Believe?
Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

Posted on 08/10/2006 6:03:14 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest

by Mark Finkelstein

August 10, 2006 - 08:52

That truth is the first casualty of war has been borne home by the proliferating scandal of photographs of the current Middle East crisis doctored so as to portray Israel in the worst possible light. At this point, can we look at any image from the area without a good dose of doubt?

Take this morning's report on the Today show. NBC's Richard Engel, in Tyre, Lebanon, reported that:

"The fighting has made humanitarian relief efforts almost impossible. Israel has cut roads and attacked vehicles, isolating Hezbollah and everyone else."

This was followed by a clip by an unidentified individual. Judging by his words and accent, he might have been a Red Cross official. He said:

"Lots of people have died because they just couldn't make it to a hospital in time. Ambulances clearly marked with the Red Cross were hit right in the middle of the roof of the car. The Red Cross stands for protection and neutrality. This should not have happened."

There appeared on screen the image of a Red Cross vehicle. And sure enough, smack in the middle of the Red Cross on the roof was a gaping hole. The clear implication was that this was the result of Israeli fire. But can we be blamed for wondering whether this was evidence of near-miraculous Israeli marksmanship . . . or clever staging by Hezbollah or its sympathizers?

As to the Red Cross's alleged 'neutrality', in fact the international Red Cross has a long history of a less-than-friendly attitude toward Israel, only recently admitting it to membership after a boycott that had lasted since Israel's founding.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: doctoredphotos; fauxlebanonnews; fauxtography; middleeastconflict; nbc; redcross; reuters; richardengel; todayshow
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

I know we need to consider bandwidth issues here, but is it possible to upload a larger version? Maybe link to a photo-hosting site? A larger version would help debunk this photo.


21 posted on 08/10/2006 6:18:03 AM PDT by reegs
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To: synbad600
could the missle possibly have been fired from inside the vehicle?

Nailed it !!!

22 posted on 08/10/2006 6:18:17 AM PDT by Ouderkirk (Don't you think it's interesting how death and destruction seems to happen wherever Muslims gather?)
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To: FrPR

Your cigar will be sent directly to the Love Shack, where it will be waiting for you to pick it up.


23 posted on 08/10/2006 6:19:38 AM PDT by Sax (You Done Tore Out My Heart And Stomped That Sucker Flat)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

Just curious, but if a missile had punched that hole on the way in, wouldn't it have crushed the top a little bit more than this just before it, oh, I don't know, exploded the vehicle into little pieces?


24 posted on 08/10/2006 6:19:39 AM PDT by Tanniker Smith (I didn't know she was a liberal when I married her.)
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Not only that, look at the ring of unpainted metal around the hole! That's where whatever was there was fastened to the roof before the vehicle was painted. I'll be it you could get a clear enough look at the perimeter you would see the holes where the object was fastened to the vehicle.


25 posted on 08/10/2006 6:20:25 AM PDT by jwparkerjr
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

I thought they used the Red Crescent in the middle east - not the cross. Why do I keep seeing ambulances with crosses on them?


26 posted on 08/10/2006 6:21:58 AM PDT by alicewonders
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To: Sentis

Here's my professional opinion on this.

First, if this was caused by munitions it would have had to be a dud. There are zero signs of overpressure on that vehicle. That would be the only explanation for the direction of the denting.

Second, a munition large enough to make that hole would have completely destroyed that vehicle. There would be nothing left of it.

Finally, look at the hole compared to the surrounding damage. There are signs of fresh cutting around that hole. Not the rust free area on the lower right portion. Also there is no tearing of the metal for the most part. An impact would not make such a clean hole. There would be metal tearing.

This is a fraud all the way.


27 posted on 08/10/2006 6:22:03 AM PDT by CougarGA7 (There are no trophies for winning wars. Only consequences for losing them.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
I don't know if this is from the same vehicle, but SFGate.com is using this image:

Here's the text that accompanies the photo:

Medics, injured civilians under attack / Red Cross trucks in south Lebanon targeted by pilots
The roof of this ambulance was hit during an Israeli air strike, according to Lebanese Red Cross workers who shot the video from which this image was taken. Associated Press Photo

28 posted on 08/10/2006 6:22:37 AM PDT by reegs
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To: jwparkerjr

You can see th holes where it was fastened they are those regularly spaced rips along the edge. the metal has been fatigued thereand broken when the object that was bolted to the top was removed.


29 posted on 08/10/2006 6:22:43 AM PDT by Sentis
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

If some projectile that big hit an ambulance, we wouldn't be looking at a damaged roof. We would be looking at little pieces the size of your thumb.

Besides, unless things in Lebanon rust overnight, this damage happened a long time ago.


30 posted on 08/10/2006 6:22:56 AM PDT by gridlock (The 'Pubbies will pick up two (2) seats in the Senate and four (4) seats in the House in 2006)
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To: TruthBeforeAll

Yeh.

If the projectile were non-explosive, to make a hole that large, it would have crushed the roof, not made a near-perfect hole.

If the projectile were explosive (missile/rocket), it would have destroyed the vehicle [recall all the images of burning vehicles -- painted markings seldom survive].


31 posted on 08/10/2006 6:24:01 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: CougarGA7

Not the rust free = Note the rust free


32 posted on 08/10/2006 6:24:33 AM PDT by CougarGA7 (There are no trophies for winning wars. Only consequences for losing them.)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

This ambulance roof was covered by one of the blogs - might have even been LGF - last week. The rusted roof, rusted antennae was mentioned and it was suspected that this is a prop that gets dragged around by Hezzie propagandists. I'll try to find the link and will post it.


33 posted on 08/10/2006 6:26:52 AM PDT by Spiff ("They start yelling, 'Murderer!' 'Traitor!' They call me by name." - Gael Murphy, Code Pink leader)
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To: reegs

Its the same they are shooting from a different angle to hide the side of tyhe hole that wasn't distressed as much so it looks more real. Again metal that has been covered by paint does not rust that quickly also when even rusted metal is put under any sort of ripping or tearing the rust is ripped away in spots becuase the metal is not rust all the way through. If this was real and just occurred the metal even if rusted before it was painted would have bright spots where the munitions would have broken through the rust to the steal under it. This ambulanc has been beat up a long time. If we look back to the archive i bet we can find it has been trotted out before in other conflicts as a "See what the evil Isrealis have done".


34 posted on 08/10/2006 6:27:36 AM PDT by Sentis
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
Here's the photo displayed on the Today show. Can you look at this without wondering?

EVERYTHING, the DBM/dems puts out has to be scutinized. They have brough this on themselves with too many lies and too much deception. NOTHING they report on should ever again be believed!!

35 posted on 08/10/2006 6:27:39 AM PDT by sirchtruth (No one has the RIGHT not to be offended...)
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To: governsleastgovernsbest

I can't find the link now but this has already been busted as simply the removal of a ceiling vent. Note the nice darts cut along the 1 o'clock thru 7 o'clock positions. This is not missile damage but normal sheetmetal work. The chunk missing on the top left of the hole is probably from someone rippng the vent away.


36 posted on 08/10/2006 6:28:22 AM PDT by Paine in the Neck
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To: reegs
This is from the SFGate.com article:

As he closed the back hatch on his white Toyota van, Chaalan's world became one of heat, light and concussion wave. A guided missile struck the vehicle with the three civilians inside. Overhead, an Israeli Apache helicopter buzzed. It was the first attack by Israel on a Red Cross ambulance in the two-week conflict, wounding five volunteers and three patients, according to the Red Cross.

In previous conflicts in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel has struck ambulances when it believed the vehicles were being used to smuggle weapons and personnel to militants. In a statement Monday, an Israeli army spokesman said the ambulances in Qana were attacked "in an area known to be one of the main sources of the launching of hundreds of missiles," according to Cox News Service. The Red Cross has asked Israel for a more detailed explanation.

Emphasis mine. I find it hard to believe that much of anything would be left following a missile attach from an Apache helicopter. Any ordinance experts out there care to opine?

37 posted on 08/10/2006 6:28:24 AM PDT by reegs
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To: Sentis

Sorry about spelling errors I am typing fast and want to get this out while its fresh in my mind.


38 posted on 08/10/2006 6:29:42 AM PDT by Sentis
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To: governsleastgovernsbest
They were probably taking this lady to the hospital for a check up:


39 posted on 08/10/2006 6:31:00 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: reegs

Your right. There wouldn't be much left if it was a missile from an Apache. Additionally, the angle is all wrong for that unless the ambulance was rolled on it's side.


40 posted on 08/10/2006 6:31:09 AM PDT by CougarGA7 (There are no trophies for winning wars. Only consequences for losing them.)
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