REUTERS | Snapped Shot

This photo, sent across by Reuters stringer Suhaib Salem, represents everything that I believe is wrong with press coverage in the Middle East. It could easily adorn the cover of some macabre screenplay—which, in essence, is all that it is.

See if you can spot every single actor in this shot that's playing specifically to a camera. I'll get you started by pointing out the gentleman in the front with the simulated-bloody hand, playing to Camera A. Or the one behind him playing to Camera B. Or even the two guys in the center who are clearly playing up their determination for Suhaib himself.

How many times will Reuters fall for the same staged shot, presenting it to Western readers as if this were some genuine outpouring of emotion—rather than the staged play that it is?

(Feel free to share your observations down in the comments—Let's see if you can find all of the actors from the comfort of your own home!)

[ Daylife Link ]

Palestinians carry the body of militant Mohammed Gabin during his funeral in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip March 1, 2010. Israeli army shelling killed Gabin, a Palestinian gunman, in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, his group said. The Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella militant group allied to Gaza's Hamas rulers, said the dead man had been on a "jihadist mission" when he was killed. The term usually denotes armed operations or training. The Israeli army had no immediate comment. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

I am still amazed by this photo, filed a few days ago by Reuters photographer Ako Rasheed. Whether by chance or on purpose, the way he composed this picture, it could easily be mistaken for a painting from far away. And yet, up close, it illustrates very succinctly both the bravery and the cooperation our military exhibits on a daily basis.

But hey, why should I have the last word? What do you think when you see this stunning still-life?

[ Daylife Link ]

Military personnel and policemen stand for a parade during their graduation ceremony in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad February 15, 2010. The "Golden Lions", a mixed squad consisting of U.S. military personnel, Iraqi and Peshmerga soldiers as well as policemen graduated from the academy in Kirkuk after finishing a month of training on Monday, police official said. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed (IRAQ - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS)

There are 8 cameras visible in this shot; 9 if you include the one belonging to Fayaz Kabli, who filed it.

Compare that to the 7 police officers present, or even the 4 protesters, and the photo itself becomes almost comical.

But it does, to me, raise a very interesting question:—At what point do we cross the line from "covering" the conflict in Kashmir to inflating it well beyond its importance in the grand scheme of things?

Your input, as always, is greatly appreciated.

[ Daylife Link ]

Indian police detain members of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) during a protest march to mark the anniversary of the hanging of Maqbool Bhat, in Srinagar February 11, 2010. Indian police on Thursday in Srinagar sealed off many residential areas to prevent protest marches called by JKLF to demand the remains of JKLF founder Bhat, who was hanged and buried in an Indian jail 26 years ago, police said. REUTERS/Fayaz Kabli (INDIAN-ADMINISTERED KASHMIR - Tags: ANNIVERSARY CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)

(PS: Thanks again to all of my esteemed cobloggers for keeping things lively around here in my extended absence!)

Kudos to Reuters stringer David Moir for capturing this intriguing composition.

It sure seems to me like the King-in-Waiting of England is trying to blend in with his subjects, despite the many doubts that have been raised about his views.

But aside from all of that, it's really neat how this real-life shot mimics the Photoshop Clone Stamp Tool so well.

[ DayLife Link ]

Britain's Prince Charles (C) speaks during a medal presentation ceremony to soldiers from The Black Watch regiment at Fort George near Inverness in Scotland January 20, 2010. Prince Charles, in his role as Royal Colonel 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, (The Black Watch), presented Operational Service Medal's on Wednesday, to soldiers recently returned from duties in Afghanistan. REUTERS/David Moir (BRITAIN - Tags: MILITARY SOCIETY ROYALS)

Okay, so if this photo alone isn't enough to convince you of the above statement, then consider this:

I am going to link directly to two photographs, [this one] and [that one], but will bypass any usual web interface to remove all semblance of context and identity for our immediate purpose.

One photo depicts a group of international "peace" activists. The other is a group of avowed terror supporters, openly organized in an "anti-Israeli" rally.

Having a hard time figuring out which group is which?

Duh. That's because there's no difference between the two.

In all of their agitation in support of the Gaza Strip -- by which I mean the genocidal Hamas movement -- these "pro-peace" activists are most certainly enabling the violent acts of these very same terrorists against Israeli civilians.

Which makes them "peace" activists not at all.

I'll close below the fold with the answers to our quiz above.

Continue Reading »

Update: I'm not sure what to make of this. Here is wire coverage of Mr. Farooq's injuries at Reuters and the AP. That doesn't exactly look "unscathed" to me.

The captions indicate that both photos were taken today, the 7th of January, yet the GK article below references the 6th. Does this mean that Amaan escaped unscathed yesterday, but wasn't so lucky in his coverage of the gunfights today? Or are these photos connected to the story above, with the dates mixed up by differing interpretations of time zones?

No clue, but either way it turns out, we here at Snapped Shot still hope Mr. Farooq makes a speedy recovery!

~

Okay, a brief interlude from our interlude for this news flash:

Greater Kashmir photographer Amaan Farooq, seems to have gotten a little bit too close to the action for his comfort.

Srinagar, Jan 6: The Greater Kashmir lens man, Amaan Farooq, had a narrow escape on Wednesday while covering the encounter between militants and forces in Lal Chowk. Amaan after hearing the gunshots rushed towards the spot to discharge his professional duties.

“I stood near the STD shop along with another photographer outside the Sadder court. Soon firing followed and there was no chance to move anywhere,” Amaan said adding that a CRPF trooper shouted at him advising him to duck. “I followed his advice and laid down near an electric pole. Firing resumed and scores of bullets hit the electric pole under which I had taken the refuge. I thought now the bullet would hit me and I will get killed. But God was kind enough,” he said, adding that he saw A CRPF man and the policeman getting injured.

The photojournalist has taken some shots of police retrieving the body of a policeman killed in the encounter. For over one hour Amaan along with another photojournalist of Kashmir Times was holed up at the encounter site. “A shopkeeper was also holed up at the spot some 10 meters from me. He fainted in the face of the volleys of bullets being exchanged. When police came to our rescue we dragged that shopkeeper along,” Amaan added.

Thankfully, Amaan came away from the experience unscathed.

God is certainly gracious.

When you look at the photo above, sent across by Reuters stringer Ammar Awad, do you see:

(a) A touching outpouring of support from a poor soul's family,

(b) The love and support of a local population that has lost one of its own to a deadly outbreak of violence, or

(c) A bunch of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade terrorists, whom themselves have traditionally been understood to be quite violent themselves?

Our trusty photographer doesn't seem to be interested in drawing distinctions like this. Instead, he just frames the most sympathetic looking group from the bunch, which makes it directly past the Editorial Desk of Reuters Magoo, and straight into the news that you read.

Context-free, as they say.

(I tried to include links to photos from Getty's archives that illustrate specific people from the picture above, but I might've missed on one or two of them. This is an inexact science, after all -- especially considering that I'm not paid to sit and stare at photos all day. That being said, you're more than welcome to try playing this game at home, if you want. The comments section is, as always, wide open for business. Like, for instance, if you wanted to find other Al-Aqsa members in Getty's archives and post links here. Which would be absolutely cool of you.)

[ Daylife Link ]

Palestinians carry the body of Anan Subuh, who was killed during an Israeli army raid, during his funeral in the West Bank City of Nablus December 26, 2009. Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Palestinians in two separate incidents on Saturday in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, in one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence in months. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST)

PS: Since we're speaking about context, I'm compelled to point out that the IDF has reported that they've discovered IEDs near the position of three of the Palestinians killed over the weekend. Unless Fatah has suddenly invented Improved Elefun Devices, I'm guessing that this means that... (drumroll, please!) Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade was intending to cause violence with them.

But it's Israel's fault, of course.

No matter what the problem at hand is, Communists and their Socialist enablers will only ever see one solution:

People queue to get milk at a state rationing dispenser in the village of Bejucal, about 20 km (12 miles) from Havana December 9, 2009. Reducing the Communist-run island's heavy dependence on imports of staples like milk, corn and rice is at the heart of a farming shake-up ordered by Raul Castro since he took over as president from his ailing brother Fidel early last year. Picture taken December 9, 2009. To match feature CUBA-FARMING/ REUTERS/Desmond Boylan (CUBA - Tags: FOOD SOCIETY)

Question: Does anyone actually believe for one cotton-picking second that the dictatorial leadership in Havana is rationing household items as stringently as they're forcing their subjects ... oops, I mean "honored citizens" to do?

Because I can't imagine the well-fed Castro brother passing up on much of any food, frankly.

Of course, Cuba's medical system (for the peasants ... oops, I mean everyone) is in an equally-uneven state of disrepair, where the citizenry is forced to endure inhumane conditions, while the leaders are given the best of care (or are flown overseas if needed).

The fact that Reuters isn't curious enough about this disparity to report on it speaks volumes.

And the fact that our Congress is taking us down the same road speaks of even worse.

In viewing this photo, I am reminded of an ancient concept from a Physics class long ago called the "Observer Effect."

Basically, the idea is that there are things which cannot be measured without being altered. Which invalidates, to a certain extent, the measurement taken.

Or, looking at the broader Palestinian question, a strong case could actually be made that all of the media and Non-Government Organizations (the UN, UNESCO, Amnesty, Peace Now, etc.) who have staked out a permanent and very prominent presence in the Palestinian terror-tories are actually changing the attitudes of the populace. In a negative way, per my telling of events.

In this particular case above, whether Suhaib Salem intended it or not, his very presence could quite possibly have caused this boy to contort his face into some form of rage, either at the member of the press whom is presently standing in his way, or at the target audience on the other end of the camera, who he might hold ultimately responsibile for whatever conditions surround his life.

Or maybe, the boy is just illustrating his hatred of "the Jews." On that question, I'll just leave the discussion up to you.

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A Palestinian boy attends a rally organized by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) in Gaza City December 12, 2009, to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of its founding. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS)

A parrot with a pirate on his shoulder?

This photograph, taken by Reuters stringer Mohammed Torokman, illustrates the European Union's traditional relationship to the Palestinian terror-tories as best as anything I've ever seen.

The clueless stare, the raised nose. The EU-funded terrorist smiling over his shoulder.

But hey, it's not like all of those billions of dollars for Fatah and Hamas ever actually led to any violence or anything, right?

Feel free to share your thoughts down below. I'd be interested in hearing your take on the shot, as always!

[ Daylife Link ]

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini stands in front of a picture of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a joint news conference with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (not seen) in the West Bank city of Ramallah December 9, 2009. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK POLITICS)