More Propaganda
Sunday, August 6, 2006 11:07:39 AM

In related news, the IDF apparently bombed Disneyland. Only the Israelis make smoke like that...

Did I mention Qana? Check out EU Referendum's "Director's Cut" of the Qana photo staging. OpinionJournal looks at who really committed war crimes in Qana.
At Qana, Israeli aircraft fired toward a building to stop Hezbollah from shooting rockets at its cities. The aircraft did not deliberately target civilians; but Hezbollah rockets are targeted at civilians, a clear war crime. U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland last week called on Hezbollah to stop its "cowardly blending" among women and children: "I heard they were proud because they lost very few fighters and that it was the civilians bearing the brunt of this." If Hezbollah used Lebanese civilians in Qana as "human shields," then Hezbollah, not Israel, is legally responsible for their deaths.
The Jerusalem Post says the IDF is investigating the incident based on points made by bloggers.
And here is a particularly brutal blast at how little interest the media has in investigating Hezbullah propaganda claims.
Actually, these "competitive journalists" all appear to be standing at about the same spot near some especially stark rubble (from what appears, if you look at other photos, to be from an entirely different building) waiting, as EU comments "for the next photo-opportunity to be presented to them." EU also provides a great deal more seemingly damning context that suggests staging, and I'd be interested to see a response from the news wires.
Meanwhile, remember Israel's attack on a "hospital" in Baalbeck Tuesday night? That's how I heard it reported in several newscasts. You may have missed this paragraph in the Washington Post (hat tip to EyeonthePost):
Halutz said the hospital building was being used as a Hezbollah logistics base and storage site for weapons. Hezbollah fighters prohibited reporters from approaching the hospital, which they said had been emptied of patients at the beginning of the war. Local officials said a number of Hezbollah fighters and guards were inside.
Hmm, a "hospital" with no patients? And with Party of God terrorists inside instead? And that reporters aren't allowed to approach?
Read it all.
Update: Gateway Pundit rounds up some photos showing just how close Reuters photographers get to terrorists. They have amazing access, for some strange, unknowable reason.
Update: Reuters admits the photo is doctored, apologizes.
Update: Michelle wraps it up. Read the comments to see someone who actually believes the photo is authentic, even after Reuters withdrew it.
Update: Heh. Double heh!









Anonymous # Sunday, August 6, 2006 3:44:40 PM
Chriscbjohnso # Sunday, August 6, 2006 4:04:03 PM
"Reuters withdraws photograph of Beirut after Air Force attack after US blogs, photographers point out 'blatant evidence of manipulation.' Reuters' head of PR says in response, 'Reuters has suspended photographer until investigations are completed into changes made to photograph.' Photographer who sent altered image is same Reuters photographer behind many of images from Qana, which have also been subject of suspicions for being staged...'As soon as the allegation came to light, the photograph, filed on Saturday 5 August, was removed from the file and a replacement, showing the same scene, was sent. The explanation for the removal was the improper use of photo-editing software,' she added."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3286966,00.html
Sometimes the media IS dishonest. Especially stringers in the Middle East...