Did Reuters Crop a Photo to Remove a Peace Activist’s Weapon?
A Turkish newpaper has released photos taken by the “peace activists” aboard the Mavi Marmara, showing them attempting to take injured Israeli soldiers hostage.
Here’s one of the pictures; notice the knife held by a “peace activist” in the lower right corner:
And here’s the same photo as released by Reuters earlier today:
That’s a very interesting way to crop the photo. Most people would consider that knife an important part of the context. There was a huge controversy over whether the activists were armed. Cropping out a knife, in a picture showing a soldier who’s apparently been stabbed, seems like a very odd editorial decision.
Unless someone was trying to hide it.
And this would not be the first time that Reuters has been caught altering photos for propaganda purposes.
(Hat tip: KT.)
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It’s laughable that you speak of “propaganda purposes” when you are nothing more than a shill for Israel. Doesn’t entirely discount your point, but basically reduces it to pot/kettle absurdity.
Why defend an apartheid regime? What’s in it for you? Cash? On the AIPAC payroll?
Why defend the cropping? You on the Reuters payroll?
Please enlighten – what would be the legitimate purpose of cropping the photo just that carefully?
In response to another comment. See in context »Do you have any comments that have anything to do with the two photos in question? Is this okay with you?
In response to another comment. See in context »C’mon, lets’ pretend you are really capable of a cogent argument.
How about you address the issue raised by Mr Johnson? What does the issue of his politics have to do with Reuters manipulation of a photograph?
Your response indicates you might be in employ of Hamas, organization that propagates staet sponsored and institutionalized hate, racism and bigotry every day in their controlled media, school curriculum and religious instruction? Are you taking money from racists and bigots?
Is that true, Mr Deskpoet?
In response to another comment. See in context »Did Israel confiscate equipment of the journalists, taking them by force to Israel?
Were the journalists censored and arrested?
That’s a definite yes, whereas your thin speculation above is just that. As a journalist yourself, would you have been so forgiven had you been in a similar situation?
Let me ask you something Charles, has Israel ever been in the wrong in any conflict it has been in? Ever? Or does your criticism of Israel stay safely in the “constructive” zone?
“Peace activists” doesn’t mean “pacifist”. I’m not quite sure you can convincingly argue that when 30 bullets have been fired into the bodies of 9 of your fellow passengers (who did not have guns), that you SHOULDN’T be carrying at least a knife. You know, since they fired on people who didn’t have guns.
Specious arguments at best.
The journalists were let free to tell their stories- and they did, including the Al Jazeera cameraman who confirmed the Israeli version of events.
Further, the journalists were on the boats. They were deported just like everyone else on the boats.
As to the 30 bullets, has it occurred to you that perhaps the Israelis were defending themselves against those who were attacking them (pesky videos and cropped Reuters photos!)? If indeed their intention was to do harm, they were remarkably ineffective. These highly trained commandos only managed to kill only 9 ‘peace activists’ out of 600 passengers and none on the other 5 boats.
Curious, don’t you think?
We can discuss the membership and ties of these Turkish ‘peace activists’ to a terror organization on if you like.
In response to another comment. See in context »Google this headline: “Gaza convoy tapes edited, Israel acknowledges”
Tsk tsk. Propaganda is as propaganda does.
In response to another comment. See in context »What does that mean, ‘edited’? Were they edited for time? Were they edited for content? Do you know? Do you have evidence the Israelis tampered with and tried to misrepresent the content of the tape?
There was an edited version of audio tapes that were edited, the one where the ‘peace quacktivist’ communicant on the ship tells the Israelis to ‘go back to Auschwitz’ and to remind the Israelis their intent was to ‘help cause another 9/11′.
That tape was edited for time, them released in it’s entirety.
Is that a tape you were referring to as well?
In response to another comment. See in context »But look at the way he’s holding it – that’s clearly an Israeli military knife he’s just taken from the soldier in front of him. The soldier has no stab wounds and the knife has no blood on it. “Apparently just been stabbed?” You’re seeing what you want to see, Charles.
Also – isn’t it pretty obvious that this guy is a commando and not an inspector? And where are his insignia? There’s no indication that he’s anything but a pirate or private mercenary.
The idea that these were simply poor, unfortunate (but heavily armed) “inspectors” who came under unprovoked attack (as they tried to illegally board a vessel in international waters) is absurd. The idea that the Israeli military needs to open fire on “dangerous Islamists” in shower shoes, lest the Gaza strip get supplied with wheelchairs, fresh water, and concrete, is a travesty.
“Look at the way he’s holding the knife”?
THAT’S you argument?
The guy is on the ground, clearly cut, surrounded by others. Are you suggesting he stabbed himself? Do you think the guy holding the knife would posing in assault position? That may have worked for John Belushi in Animal House but in the real world, there would be no reason for him to hold the knife in aggressive stance.
Still, your lack of critical thinking skills has clearly not improved. The question posed is whether or not Reuters deliberately cropped the photo. Is there a reason you don’t want to address the issue?
Further, AP published the same photo, sans cropping. So did the Turkish newspapers and now there are published accounts from those on board corroborate the Israeli version, including the description of events as described by the Al Jazeera cameraman.
There are now published reports of the affiliation of these ‘peace activists’ with terror related groups.
Further, military naval inspections at sea are conducted by sailors. You’ll have to come up with something more credible if you want to be taken seriously.
I do wonder why there so few causalities, given the reality there were 5 other ships on that day and the Rachel Corrie a couple of days later. I guess the Israeli commandos are pretty inept!
In any event, let me say you are nothing if not entertaining. Do continue to work on those critical thinking skills.
Now, give us a little us a little dance.
In response to another comment. See in context »Wow – so you’re a knife expert too. Impressive.
Maybe you can explain why the knife he’s holding seems to have no hilt, whereas an Israeli commando knife has a very pronounced hilt?
Here’s a larger image of the more honest Associated Press image which includes the knife. No hilt.
Even if it is an IDF commando knife, I’m not sure why this is supposed to demonstrate that the soldier wasn’t stabbed. Is it impossible to stab an Israeli commando with an Israeli commando knife? Those dastardly Israelis and their super secret science!
You’re also an apparently a genius at photographic enhancement techniques, because you certainly cannot have seen enough information in the photos as published to make these definite judgments.
You’re doing what you always do — spinning like crazy trying to put a deceptively innocuous interpretation on an event that is clearly anything but innocuous.
I’m curious: are you somehow connected to the activists in that flotilla?
In response to another comment. See in context »I’m wondering where the pictures or video of commandos firing multiple bullets into the faces of civilians on the ship, are? Oh yeah, because the IDF hasn’t released those.
Israel won’t agree to an international inquiry either. Gee I wonder why? Gosh, it couldn’t be that they are covering something up? No it can’t be, because they haven’t done anything wrong. Right guys?
Yes, I would have liked to see that video as well. I wonder why the ‘peace quacktivists’ haven’t come forward?
Could it be because it shows the soldiers being attacked?Is it possible those videos would show the Israelis acting in self defense?
All those highly trained commandos and well equipped comandos and they only managed to kill 9 ‘peace quacktivists’? All that superior firepower available and that was they best they could do?
And the dumb bastards didn’t kill anyone on the other 5 ships!
I’ll bet if Hamas were in charge and there were civilian Israelis on a ship, they’d have killed a lot more people. That is after all what they say the want to do
Know what I mean? Sure you do.
In response to another comment. See in context »Mr. Johnson and other Israel is 100% right commenters:
You’d be much more credible if your line of argument was: “Look, they tried to run the blockade, Israel told them not to, and they paid the price.” Tough stance but honest.
Instead you’re trying to peddle the line that commados with guns repelling onto a civilian ship, in the middle of the night, in international waters were victims of a terrorist ambush/attack, and that stretches your credibility. You’re not arguing in good faith.
Your obsessions are showing. This article has nothing to do with whether Israel was “right” or not.
It’s clear evidence, especially now that a second cropped photo has turned up, that somebody at Reuters has a huge honking agenda, and they are willing to alter photos to remove vital context to push that agenda.
In response to another comment. See in context »And you don’t have a “huge honking agenda?” You’re just a neutral, objective commentator, who examines all sides of the issue.
If you can’t see for a second, that you have had pre-conceived notions and an agenda regarding this flotilla raid issue, from all your posts, then I’m wasting my time commenting on it.
Good luck, sir.
In response to another comment. See in context »Of course, I expect you to think that, because you have a gigantic in-your-face bias against Israel, and have been repeating lies since the beginning of this incident, long after the truth was pointed out to you.
I have absolutely no problem criticizing Israel when they deserve it. But what’s been going on here is nothing more than a virtual lynch mob.
In response to another comment. See in context »Mr Brick
Your argument might hold water if the Israelis were rappelling onto the ship with their guns at the ready. If their intention was to shoot the ‘peace quacktivists’ they would have been firing on the way down.
That is clearly not the case as the videos indicate.
As for the illegality of the boarding, that has been dispensed with. The Israelis were perfectly within their rights, pro Palestinian pundits notwithstanding.
In response to another comment. See in context »researchok:
You’ve used the term “peace quacktivist” about three times in this thread. Just a little tip regarding your self-awareness: It’s not funny, and actually makes you seem quite dim. Sorry I had to break it to you.
In response to another comment. See in context »Mr. Johnson,
Yes, Reuters clearly cropped the photograph from Hürriyet and yes the knife is cropped out.
In the particular picture you cite, it is not at all clear that the soldier in question has been stabbed. He clearly has a blood nose which would be more consistent with a blow rather than stab. He is bleeding elsewhere, including from the hand. In photograph #4, what appears to be the same commando (based the similarity of the hand wound and the stains on the pants) is still wearing his body armor in what is clearly a different part of the ship. So he was clearly captured in one location, had his body armor removed, was injured in transit between photos 4 and 9, where he was being restrained at the top of the stairs, the same location as #2 and #7.
However none of his clothing are cut or torn so they are unlikely to be stab would unless his clothes had been removed, he was stabbed, and his clothes were then put back on. As noted earlier by Justin St. Giles Payne, the knife has no blood on the visible parts and the individual holing the knife between the thumb and forefinger has no blood on his or her hands or clothing. So if he had been stabbed, it was not by that knife. The knife might have come from the commando in photo #8, he has a thigh strap which might have held a holster for a gun or knife. Photo #4 is in the same location as #8 and the same thigh strap.
However, if you note on the floor and stairs there are smeared blood stains on both. The soldier was clearly wounded elsewhere and dragged up the stairs. This is consistent with photograph #3 where a commando is being pulled up the stairs.
However the peace activists were “attempting” to take the commando prisoner, they had succeeded. On the link you provided to Hürriyet’s photo-gallery, there are nine photographs shown. The one you copied is #1 and #9 but if you look at the ones in between it is perfectly clear that the peace activists HAD captured the commandos (except #5 which just a picture of someone holding a bag of onions). The commandos are bloodied and disarmed and under the control of the activists.