A few days have passed since the BBC irresponsibly passed off this 2003 picture of dead Iraqis as depicting dead Syrians in last week’s Houla massacre. The original photographer, who works for Getty Images, said “Someone is using someone else’s picture for propaganda on purpose.” The Telegraph:
Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.
The picture, which was actually taken on March 27, 2003, shows a young Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad.
It was posted on the BBC news website today under the heading “Syria massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows”.
The caption states the photograph was provided by an activist and cannot be independently verified, but says it is “believed to show the bodies of children in Houla awaiting burial”.
Max Fisher at the Atlantic thinks “the BBC’s error seems like an innocent one.” He thinks it was a hasty mistake arising after the photo made its rounds anonymously throughout the Internet: “We might never know who first entered this photo into the social media currents, which sent it flying through Arabic- and English-language social networks (including my own Twitter account) until it landed on the BBC website’s front page.”
We can’t know for sure, but I don’t think it’s fair to assume the BBC’s innocent naiveté as opposed to its knowing deception. I’m not suggesting a conspiracy theory, but I think there are two pressures on news organizations when it comes to hard-to-cover situations like the one in Syria. First, there is a pressure to get the most sensational story out before anyone else does. And what’s more sensational than a pile of dead bodies? There is also pressure to pose a call to action, which in other words is a pressure to validate what has been the dominant narrative of the Syria conflict. I think it’s entirely possible that the editors at the BBC did not do their due diligence and some even knowingly let the false photo go up, hoping they wouldn’t get caught.
In any case, this is a reminder that much of the journalism on Syria has to be taken with a grain of salt. We know much of the establishment’s information has been attained through opposition activists or expat groups and we also know of a number of instances where they have fibbed the reality on the ground. We also know the opposition has committed serious atrocities, and so have an interest in glossing over those facts in favor of information emphasizing the atrocities of the Assad regime. This doesn’t mean the Assad regime hasn’t committed its own atrocities and peddled its own propaganda. It has.
Confirming events on the ground has become slightly easier since the UN observers arrived. And despite this photo fib, the Houla massacre does in fact appear to have taken place, probably committed by the regime, according to UN observers and witnesses. But this BBC controversy should make clear that the establishment media is not the vaunted authority they parade themselves to be and are just as much in the dark about things as the rest of us.
and you,mr Glaser, figured all that on your own?????
I used Google Image search and found this photo from a year old forum post that referenced the fact that the photo was taken in 2003 in Iraq. It took me about 30 seconds.
of course there is a conspiracy, this isn't happening all by accident. There was conspiracy to wage war in 2003.
In other news:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/29/united_na…
The BBC has apologised after criticising a fictional space empire from the 22nd century for not intervening against ongoing atrocities in Syria.
In a News at One telly segment reporting Amnesty International's disapproval of the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) lack of action in the blood-soaked nation, the Beeb mistakenly broadcast a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) emblem from the smash-hit computer game series Halo. The real security council uses the UN's famous blue globe design.
This should have been easy. Numbers of 80 to 104 for Houla are given. So how did they miss corpses with numbers 283, 284, etc. Each one is numbered in the pic. Oh yeah, I read Arabic. Didn't the editors ask what was written?
John, why say things like "probably committed by the regime"? If you don't know, don't add fuel to the fire. In Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 90's, there were several high-profile atrocities (the bread line massacre, marketplace massacres) that seemed perpetrated with an intent to deceive. In Syria now, with so many powerful actors in the wings, the potential strategic payoff from public atrocities like these can be huge.
that was on antineocons days ago
The BBC, saying clearly that they weren't sure about the picture, made a mistake. Actually, if they were trying to deceive, the REAL pictures are much worse than this one.
As usual, though, there's absolutely no feeling for the 100 people – including many women and children – massacred that day. John Glaser grudgingly admits that it does 'appear' to have occurred, and it was 'probably' done by the Syrian regime.
To the extent that the media doesn't know what's going on in Syria – and remember that these news organizations have actually gotten their people into there, some of whom have not come out alive – thats because the Assad government won't let journalists in. Why do you think that is?
of course they may very well have ended up killed by the "freedom fighters" or simple cross fire. This we cannot know.
Sure, the 'freedom fighters' are monsters who would kill their own wives, mothers, sisters and children.
And how would all these children have been killed at close range in 'crossfire'? Do you think they were out in the street playing during this? They were hiding in their homes.
Who says they were their mothers, wives, and children? Do we KNOW that for a fact? No we do not. When the West bombs and kills civilians it's always "Ooops!… Oh well, guess you have to break a few eggs to make an omellete". And they continue doing what they were doing as before. But because THEY do it then somehow it's elevated to being righteous and inevitable.
Well, the children were obviously children – not sure how you can deny that one, and that's true no matter who it was that killed those children. Just by seeing bodies of women, I couldn't say for sure that those women were wives and mothers, but that would be likely, since those children obvsiouly had mothers. And family members and witnesses have given the names and family relationships.
Are you denying that the people were killed at all, or just arguing about who did it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLN3NvaMp5I&f…
Alistaire Crooke, the former British Intelligence officer commented on the RT that the killings in the Houla area was not typical of Levantine Islam and had the hallmarks of anti-Shiia/Iran Salafis to provoke UN intervention. Soldiers use their own weapons! They act fast and efficiently. They don't put they machine guns down and use guns to shoot single shots at close range or cut throats! This is what violent revenge seeking Salafis do to provoke outrage.
1) Please spell out 'RT'. That's Russian Today TV (yes, I know they cleverly stopped using the word 'Russian' anymore, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the pro-Putin proganda network). It's disappointing that antiwar.com has becomd so dependent on them for news.
2) 'Levantine Islam'? That's a new one…
3) No one said it was Syrian soldiers. What eyewitnesses have been saying all along was that it was the shahiba – pro-Assad thugs from a nearby Alawite village.
Ummabdulla, too bad these people aren't paying more attention to what you have to say. It's obvious you are paying attention. Russia has a different take, plus Clinton is using Syria as a proxy to clip Putin's wings. The fact that the US is now backing Sunni extremists to fight a horrid secular government shows how bankrupt this all is. It is the "Great Game" all over again. And yes, Levantine Islam? Geez.
What I don't understand is how the US supported the Shiite government in Iraq when there were 150 Sunnis being killed PER DAY FOR MANY MONTHS. But is seems that is okay as long as the US supports that butchery.
You've answered your own question. It's obvious.
Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.
Is John Glaser turning neocon and Zionist? It appears to be irrefutable fact, but I am not sure. His total agrrement with sentence that "Houla massacre does in fact appear to have taken place, probably committed by the regime, according to UN observers". Mr. Glaser this sentence is a LIE and I would never expect such a lie on pages of Antiwar.com. UN obsevers said that 80 % of dead died as a result of a "close range attack", while 20% victims probably died as a result of shelling. Rebels claims that there was simultaneous shelling and attack by pro-government militia is simply ridiculous. I do not think government would try to kill their own defenders.
So what happened in Houla? I think that terrorists "anti-Assad rebels" listened carefully to their KLA teachers on their trip to Prisitna as they presented them with staging of the RACAK MASSACER in their fight with Milosevic regime and Serbian nation over Kosovo. The "Racak massacer" was used as a trigger for "international community" humanitarian bombing of Yugoslavia. Terrorists in Syria have been calling for Bosnia and Kosovo and Libya type of "humanitarian help" from the "international community" for some time.now. Now they learned in Pristina that to get intervention going you need to offer some suffering – in other words "The`worst it is, more probably you get what you want.". Bosniaks had staged their "Bread Line Massacre", KLA had staged "Racak Massacre" and they won – thus we have here "Houla Massacre".
"Rebels claims that there was simultaneous shelling and attack by pro-government militia is simply ridiculous."
That's not what the rebels claimed. Go back and look at reports from various news organizations, and you'll see that the rebels and eyewitnesses have always said that there was shelling, and then afterwards, men came into their homes and shot or stabbed them at close range.
So the Syrian eyewitnesses are Zionists because they say this? Strange logic…
And the Serbs didn't massacre any Bosnians either, according to you?
You should open your eyes and ears and listen to something other than Russian propaganda.
This explains why the regime is correct in banning all foreign journalists and all human-right groups and all independent investigators from covering the revolution.Also, the hundreds of thousands of videos uploaded by Syrians on YouTube showing the worst savagery in history must be all fake.
I am an anti-war activist who understands and respects the desire to avoid wars. However, I am disgusted by your apologetic stance regarding the war crimes committed by the brutal Syrian dictator. As someone who lost several family members by government thugs, I KNOW that what has been reported by western media outlets is just the tip of the iceberg. If you don't know what is happening in Syria, try to apply for a visa to go there and find out for yourself. Until you do, please don't just look for excuses for inaction because that makes you complicit in these crimes.
I can't point a finger and say this side or that side committed the crime, since we don't have the result of any serious investigation yet.
However , the timing of the crime raise many questions..! for instance why would the government commit such an atrocity in the eve of security council meeting ? and why the killings, the brutality towards civilians , kidnapping, and suicide bombing escalated right after Ammar Abdulhamid's visit to Pristina -Kosovo and setting camps to train (Free Syrian Army) FSA Jihadist there?
Besides, we sure remember how the opposition blamed Syrian authority for every crime committed by the rebels, the NSC (National Syrian Council) was quick to accuse the government for kidnapping the Lebanese pilgrims, which turned out to be planned, and executed by the FSA and they are now negotiating with Hezbullah for their release… the same goes for bombing security force buildings, and other military offices, and most of the time the western media adopt the rebels story.
I live in Homs -Syria particularly in Al Hamedya , I was forced out of my home (along with 10,000 others) by the fighters of FSA , ironically the FSA spokesman appeared on AL-Jazeera channel announcing liberating AL Hamedya from Assad's forces, such liberation that left us homeless and refugees…! Al-Jazeera didn't mention anything about those fled their homes fearing the brutality of the FSA ! nor did any western media ! on the contrary I've see watched many news report showing the destruction in my neighborhood blaming the government for it, while we have seen and lived every minute of that destruction we sure know it's not the government (AL-Hamedya still under the rebel's control, almost nobody still living there) .
I am still unable to comprehend how much and how big the lies are!
They say "TRUTH is the first victim of war" I think it's the second … the real first victim is the morals.
In the fading empire of former colonial powers all is fair and no morals are even on their mind.The most unfortunate part of the situation is that world media is controlled by powers hostile to the Muslims,the Hindu's and the Buddhists who populate most of Asia. The next focus will be Africa.Please look at the bigger picture. Syria is a part of the long list of victims that include Cambodia,Korea,Vietnam,Laos,Iraq,Afghanistan,Libya,Liberia — – – -. Fiction has been a part of all these man made conflicts all of them aimed to revive and keep the colonial empires alive. Habits die hard. The colonial powers distorted history for three hundred years. For them to be honest again will take time
It is an outright scandal that Mr.Glaser judges "…probably commited by the regime…"
without providing even a shred of evidence. Just as deceitful as the BBC.
And please, Syria has a "goverment", not a "regime".
Merriam-Webster definition of regime:
a : mode of rule or management
b : a form of government <a socialist regime>
c : a government in power
d : a period of rule
Oxford Advanced Learner's Diectionary definition of regime:
– a method or system of government, especially one that has not been elected in a fair way
– a fascist/totalitarian/military, etc. regime
– an oppressive/brutal regime
Take your pick – the American or the British definition, but either way, Syria has a regime.
I'm surprised that they didn't use those old phony photos of Kuwaiti babies being torn off incubators — or the photos of the Maddix and Turner Joy being attacked.
What shit that the DGE (Disguised Global Empire) weaves into its propaganda.
Best luck and love to the "Occupy Empire" educational and revolutionary movement.
Alan MacDonald
Please listen to Patrick Cockburn at antiwar radio. Most of you won't like what he says about Houla, though.
Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.
Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly “fell off his chair” when he saw the image being used, and said he was “astonished” at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.
I remember the BBC story 1992 about a Robin the Hood of Sarajevo..named Juka Prazina ..local criminal who was responsable for getting out Serbs from Sarajevo in exchange for money.This Guy was reposable for lot of dead people and yet he end up on side of the road killed in his car along with 3 friends by French Intelligent Service..He was hero as well for BBC..
I think it really takes very little time to understand that what is going on is an attempt to use censorship as a means of influencing public opinion, by silencing your critics and enabling or empowering those who present the party line, said Scott Horton, a human rights lawyer and Harpers blogger.houston winter limo
Oh that's not fair. BBC should must takes steps for this. Anyhow the picture is so terrible. God bless all of these Iraqis. Anyhow, you also have done a nice job. To remain update from the current world affairs or (at least local news) is a very nice hobby. By reading news our mental capabilities are also increased.
I'm sure! Yes I agree that the BBC News should take steps so that this doesn't happen!
crazy
Sad To Hear Even Worse Read About
you can check my shortest video in youtube now
Good post
good post
This is really sad. People who did this have no soul. What is happening to the world?
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Let us pray for them. God bless!
Make justice for them. Thank you for this article info.
So sad to hear that! lets pray for them.
Justice for them!!! thank you for sharing this.
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