Snapped Shot

Always Watching the All-Seeing Eye

 

Mahmud Hams, AFP Photographer for the Masses

... the terrorist masses, that is.

My new friend Pritt Stift over at Geenstijl has more (auto-translated).
 

Embedded with the Enemy, Licensed Edition!

"Hello? Twinkie Bears hotline? I'm looking for a friend to keep me company this evening."
[Image courtesy Newscom]


Hamas has apparently issued a call for photographers to come and "observe" its smuggling operations underneath the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Despite the fact that such an operation is in flagrant violation of international law, a handful of stringers do appear to have heeded the call, and as such, have provided us with a propagandists' view of the Hamas humanitarian corps. Continue reading »
 

Proper Funeral Attire

Here's yet another shining example of culture from the Palestinian terror-tories, in which an Islamic Jihad militant displays the latest in funeral fashion for audiences worldwide:

A Palestinian militant of the Islamic Jihad attends the funeral of three comrades in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, on June 16, 2008. Israeli troops killed three Palestinian fighters who were trying to plant explosives at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, according to the Islamic Jihad movement and an Israeli army spokesman. AFP PHOTO/SAID KHATIB [Photo via Newscom]


Of course, perhaps my Magic Sarcasm Generator is working a bit too hard lately.

In all seriousness, is Agence France-Presse really trying to pass this off as a "news" photograph? Or could it be that they are vying to become the next official source of Hamas propaganda?
 

Commonman to the Rescue

From the continuing Communist protest against high gas prices—Because, as everyone knows, the only proven way to reduce prices is to walk around in the streets with a bunch of poorly-spelled signs—we see reference to Commonman, the world's most powerful superhero:

Move over, Superman!


The Communist Party in India seems to be the world leader in Protest Sign Stinkage these days. That's okay, though—They make up for it by being somewhat better looking than their American counterparts.

Incidentally, I hear that giant frickin' muppets are twice as effective at lowering prices, in case anyone from CPI happens to be reading this site.

Blast from the past: I don't think Superman is going to take this challenge sitting down.

Or standing up on a sound stage, as the case may be.

Update: Dpud sends in some suggested superpowers for our new superhero via e-mail: Continue reading »
 

Embedded with the Enemy

If Mohammed Abed/AFP would have happened to have been killed by the IDF while filming this Hamas rocket crew in action, how loud do you think the international press would've howled?

My guess is that it'd be a somewhat louder protest than what these guys got.

[Picture]—DayLife link pending

Palestinian militants take position in the early hours on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Three Hamas gunmen were killed by Israeli troops in Gaza as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was set to meet top ministers to weigh up a possible military offensive on the territory in a bid to stop militant rocket fire. (AFP/Mohammed Abed)


Full series here.
 

The Rising Costs of Idiocy

Here's yet more evidence of the decline of your average leftist protest material, provided this time by the Communist Party of India.

This one's wrong on so many levels. For starters, what is Dal-Sabzi-Roti? And seriously, who wouldn't be happy if it reduced the costs of death for the poor?

... And what's this got to do with the cost of tea in India?


After all, if dying is cheaper for the poor, it's cheaper for everyone.
 

Rage Boy Sighting!

Forest, who's a regular reader around here, pinged me over the extended weekend to say that he's spotted our old friend Shakeel "Islamic Rage Boy" Bhat in a protest. It stinks that I missed the sighting when it happened, but sure enough, Mr. Bhat has definitely been up to his regular trade, this time protesting the indignity committed by a U.S. sniper against the holy Qur'an.

From our friends over at Agence France-Presse, via ANP-Photo, we see Rage Boy in action: [Shot 1] [Shot 2]

It's interesting to note that the major wire services seem to be avoiding Shakeel now, with AP and Reuters both ignoring him completely. I'm not sure if this is editorial policy (i.e., our vaunted editorial staff are finally blocking his staged outrage from the feed), or if he's just not "in" with their stringers any longer, but it's certainly an interesting question. At least AFP (and, occasionally, EPA) continues to carry his picture.
 

Rage Journalist

So much anger.

And so little time.
 

Embedded with the Enemy

I'm sorry, but there really is absolutely no excuse for photos like this. It's an AFP photo, so the link should stay good forever, but just in case, it's also archived here.

Seriously: What "news" does this convey? How does this serve the average newsreader?

As Gateway Pundit has pointed out earlier, Essam al-Sudani is actively involved with the Mahdi Army, but the picture above is well beyond all reasonable limits of news gathering, and has clearly moved into the realm of actively assisting a terrorist group.

If I were a news customer, I would demand that the AFP immediately cease all association with Mr. al-Sudani, and that they remove all of his terrorist propaganda from their archives.

Jan-Edward has more thoughts on this. Via Google Translate, he asks:

There has been in recent months and years been much discussion about whether or not to use as a (photo) journalist embedded with a military unit to work.

That is the question arises: Are there also photographers "embedded" with the other warring parties? (For words like 'rebels',' freedom 'and' terrorists' but even aside to let).

Today I ask this question but again on the agenda, following photos AFP photographer Essam al-Sudani through his press office has published.

Those photos show that Essam al-Sudani zastane Sjiitische with fighters of the Mahdi militia in Basra, for example, he photographs at the time it places a roadside bomb. I still get an uneasy feeling in these and other photographs of the said AFP photographer.


I'm glad I am not the only one thinking this. :-)
 

Rage Duuuuude Sighting

One man, three wire agencies. (Reuters even cropped the photo for maximum "impact." Whatever that means. Who knows? Maybe they were just trying to take a known terrorist out of the background... ;-) )

Seriously, this stuff never gets old for me.

Bonus: The facial expression in this picture? Priceless.

Be sure to click the links, while you still can. Continue reading »
 

Happy Denmark Day... of RAGE!

It looks like Pakistan is doing its best to prove that it is the world's Jihad superstar. I don't have much time for commentary on this little shin-dig, other than to point out that yes, these people flowed out of their mosque after Friday prayers, with hatred in their eyes, and fire in their hands.

Stay classy, Pakistan!

Pakistani Islamic students burn a Danish flag and an effigy of Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen during a protest rally in front of Faisal mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. Angered over the reproduction of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in Danish newspapers last week, hundreds of Islamic students rallied in the Pakistani capital, setting fire to Danish flags and threatening a holy war. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)


But... but... I thought "a holy war" meant that they wanted to lower their calorie intake! Isn't that what CAIR keeps telling us?

Bonus: Looks like the "Death to Wikipedia" crowd will be pleased by this one.

Pakistani Islamic students rally in front of Faisal mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan on Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. Angered over the reproduction of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in Danish newspapers last week, hundreds of Islamic students rallied in the Pakistani capital, setting fire to Danish flags and threatening a holy war. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)


I'll do my best to keep an eye open for other Denmark Days... of RAGE around the world. If you see something on the wires before I do, just poke me and let me know about it. Until later, feel free to peruse the ragerific rage there is—All neatly catalogued beyond the fold.

Greetings, fellow Malkin fans! This is becoming a regular season of rage, isn't it?

Update: Syria says that the Danish cartoons will lead to "religious war." Cool beans—Let me know when the crusade kicks off. ;-) Continue reading »
 

Happy Valentine's Day

... from the Religion of Peace:

Religious Jameat Ulmae Pakistan (JUP) activists burn a placard with a heart painted on while denouncing Valentine's Day celebrations during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)


Robert Spencer has the intellectual details over here. This not being a very intellectual blog, all I've got to share with you is more pictures of burnin' stuff, right beyond the fold!

See-also: Atlas Shrugs, Michelle Malkin, Ace o' Spades, Geenstijl, dogfight at bankstown, doubleplusundead, Nihil Obstat, Atheist Media Blog, Nice Deb.

What the? Robert Spencer refers to me by name now? If anyone needs me, you'll have to pick me up offa the floor...

Dare I say— is it time to kick off the Photoshop Contest? Continue reading »
 

Embedded with the Enemy

The Associated Press does us proud yet again, bringing us the first-hand report of people who want to indiscriminately kill civilians:

Palestinian militants from Islamic Jihad prepare to launch a mortar towards Israel from an area near Gaza City, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Israeli troops, backed by helicopters and armored vehicles, clashed with Palestinian fighters in Gaza City on Tuesday in the course of a raid on rocket-launching operations. Hamas claimed it fired dozens of mortar rounds and seven rockets on troops that moved into the area, but the military said only one mortar round was fired at troops. No serious casualties were reported by either side. (AP Photo/Ashraf Amra)


For more background on these type of antics, start reading here.

As an aside, I'm trying to track down some information about AP photos that were reportedly taken at the Hamas school-slash-rocket launching ground from last week that Soccer Dad has alerted me to. I hope to have more on that shortly.

Jack Williams asks, I deliver. Though it seems that this is a picture from before the first one:

(AP Photo/Ashraf Amra)


As the esteemed Lawhawk [blog] points out, Agence France-Presse was on-site for this Hamas photo-op as well. Here's a sample for ya—

(MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images)


Here's a question for ya, while I'm busy rounding up photos:—If the IDF were to decide to counter-attack this enemy mortar position, either with a jet or a tank round, the photographers in situ would almost certainly be killed. Were that to have happened, what do you suppose the odds are that the usual suspects would be weeping and gnashing their teeth over Israel's war crimes?
 

Gaza Dog Bites Media Hand

AFP photographer Sayyed al-Kateib was injured in the great Palestinian/Egyptian conflict today. From the looks of it, he got hit in the back of a head by a rock—and while Reuters doesn't seem to think that merits a mention, there is one group in particular that happens to have a proclivity for throwing those (be sure to scroll down).

A Palestinian helps AFP photographer Sayyed al-Kateib who was injured during clashes between Palestinians and Egyptian riot police near the destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt January 25, 2008. Egypt began closing its breached border with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, using barbed wire and water cannons to keep Palestinians from crossing into Egypt in defiance of an Israeli blockade. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA)


By the way, incidents like this aren't too surprising, when one considers which side the press tends to hang out with.

Here's another, more detailed angle of Mr. al-Katieb's injury, thanks to eagle-eyed reader Ulrike and Spiegel Online. Ulrike asks,

The blood on the hand seems to be red paint. Compare it to the postetd pc: the blood from the head-wound ist noticably darker than the red colored hand.

Can anybody shed some light on this?


Zooming in on the photo, the colour on his hand seems to be a reasonable match for the colour of the blood that's streaming down the side of his head, so I don't see any obvious reason to declare this fauxtography. See the detail below:

Click to zoom


It's not 100% proof, but the inverted regions of the photograph are in almost the same exact hue, which seems to indicate to me that whatever's on his hand came from the wound on his head. The inversion also highlights his wound pretty dramatically, some of which you can see in the inverted area there.

If anyone has more convincing evidence either way, I'm open to suggestions. I'm not claiming that this is a scientific conclusion or anything.

He definitely seems to be genuinely injured, and I don't think the substance on his hand is paint. The only question then is how he got injured—and I think my original supposition that it was an easily-identified flying object is still on the mark.