Knowing is half the battle!
February 1, 2005 4:58 PM Subscribe
Iraqi militants claimed...to have taken an American soldier hostage and threatened
to behead him... The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements,
included a photo of what that statement said was an American soldier,
wearing desert fatigues and seated on a concrete floor with his hands tied behind his back.
The figure in the photo appeared stiff and expressionless...
Looks
like
a
bunch
of
newspapers
got
duped.
Dan Rather stands by the story, even if the photo is unproven.
posted by HTuttle at 5:01 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by HTuttle at 5:01 PM on February 1, 2005
Not just newspapers. Take a look at the warbloggers. Froth on them lips, I'd say.
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:02 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:02 PM on February 1, 2005
I've been wondering when they'll disguise one of their own in military garb and try to get some prisoners freed with that?
This was either a desperate or humorous move. I'm leaning towards desperate.
But it is pretty damned funny that it was reported as an abduction instantly (before the editor'd even looked at the pic, I'm guessing).
posted by fenriq at 5:07 PM on February 1, 2005
This was either a desperate or humorous move. I'm leaning towards desperate.
But it is pretty damned funny that it was reported as an abduction instantly (before the editor'd even looked at the pic, I'm guessing).
posted by fenriq at 5:07 PM on February 1, 2005
But you know, the (tighty wighty righty) bloggers have replaced the Main Stream Media (that's MSM to you tiny motherfuckers) what with all their fact checking and all.
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:11 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by Wulfgar! at 5:11 PM on February 1, 2005
fandango_matt: sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder. I saw this on google news and when I searched threads for 'soldier' and 'captured' nothing came up.
Cheers!
posted by furtive at 5:14 PM on February 1, 2005
Cheers!
posted by furtive at 5:14 PM on February 1, 2005
lol.. I'm sorry but I laughed as soon as I saw the original photo. How did anyone not spot this was a doll?
posted by MrBobaFett at 5:15 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by MrBobaFett at 5:15 PM on February 1, 2005
The CNN article provides a quote from Dragon Models USA explaining the photo is of its toy, "Special Ops Cody." The company's web site, however, shows a different "Special Ops Cody" [click to enlarge image].
posted by quam at 5:16 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by quam at 5:16 PM on February 1, 2005
The editor drooling over the scoop probably didn't notice the readily apparent fakeness of the soldier.
On Preview: quam, are you saying they've kidnapped the real Special Ops Cody and Dragon Models is trying to foist off some imposter while the real Cody rots in a shoebox in Iraq? Scramble the Delta Force! Let Chuck Norris introduce them to some slow motion karate ass kickin' action!
posted by fenriq at 5:18 PM on February 1, 2005
On Preview: quam, are you saying they've kidnapped the real Special Ops Cody and Dragon Models is trying to foist off some imposter while the real Cody rots in a shoebox in Iraq? Scramble the Delta Force! Let Chuck Norris introduce them to some slow motion karate ass kickin' action!
posted by fenriq at 5:18 PM on February 1, 2005
Do they make Bush/Cheney action figures? Cause, I've got an idea that involves Barbie and her friends and some compromising positions...
posted by shoepal at 5:18 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by shoepal at 5:18 PM on February 1, 2005
The weapon in the 'hostage photo' looks much like the weapon in the toy pack, imo.
I wonder if there is a Metallica poster behind the flag in the photo?
posted by quam at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
I wonder if there is a Metallica poster behind the flag in the photo?
posted by quam at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
Don't ask, don't tell if you are a doll...sorry, 'action-figure'.
posted by alteredcarbon at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by alteredcarbon at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
Re: the original site, is there anything like Babelfish that works for Arabic? This story would be much better if the surrounding text was all phrased in the form of a joke...
posted by cmyk at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by cmyk at 5:19 PM on February 1, 2005
Looks like a bunch of newspapers got duped.
How were they duped? A group released a photo and then newspapers reported about the photo, noting that the claims of the group could not be verified.
posted by gluechunk at 5:20 PM on February 1, 2005
How were they duped? A group released a photo and then newspapers reported about the photo, noting that the claims of the group could not be verified.
posted by gluechunk at 5:20 PM on February 1, 2005
EXCLUSIVE! INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF OF OSAMA BIN LADEN'S CAPTURE:
![](http://img49.exs.cx/img49/5892/obl.jpg)
(from here)
posted by Krrrlson at 5:47 PM on February 1, 2005
![](http://img49.exs.cx/img49/5892/obl.jpg)
(from here)
posted by Krrrlson at 5:47 PM on February 1, 2005
Am I wrong or did I read via Yahoo News this afternoon - I only scanned the article - that the group associated with this photo was a "little known" organization? Who tipped all the media off to this, then, if hardly anyone knew who the group was or could vouch for its bona fides?
posted by raysmj at 6:23 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by raysmj at 6:23 PM on February 1, 2005
I think, in hindsight, they were saying the group was previously unknown before claiming responsibility for the kidnapping of the three Japanese people. I still wonder how much was known about the group, if much at all - or about how this site gets its information, etc.
posted by raysmj at 6:36 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by raysmj at 6:36 PM on February 1, 2005
Helluva prank. Wish I'd thought of it!
posted by five fresh fish at 7:14 PM on February 1, 2005
posted by five fresh fish at 7:14 PM on February 1, 2005
Who tipped all the media off to this, then, if hardly anyone knew who the group was or could vouch for its bona fides?
Regardless of the realness of the soldier, these guys are hardly "bona", surely!
posted by Aknaton at 9:43 PM on February 1, 2005
Regardless of the realness of the soldier, these guys are hardly "bona", surely!
posted by Aknaton at 9:43 PM on February 1, 2005
is journalism really to the point of just copy-paste what you find on some fanatic's website?
just noticing, huh? :-)
posted by quonsar at 5:26 AM on February 2, 2005
just noticing, huh? :-)
posted by quonsar at 5:26 AM on February 2, 2005
G.I. D'oh!
posted by kirkaracha at 7:04 AM on February 2, 2005
posted by kirkaracha at 7:04 AM on February 2, 2005
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posted by furtive at 4:59 PM on February 1, 2005