[Debunking] The Alleged Death Pic (Update: FDNY Celebrates in Photo)
UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Aaron posted the post below to highlight an alleged picture of Osama bin Laden dead. However, the picture is a photoshop and a fake. The origin of the picture appears to be a satire site called “Unconfirmed Sources” which published the photo during the administration of George W. Bush. The caption alleged that Osama had been killed by “stress position techniques.”
This was debunked by a commenter at Jawa (h/t daleyrocks), who gave a link that is dead — but there is a cached version that I found here.
Another reminder that in fast-moving stories it is good to be cautious. I am placing Aaron’s post below the fold.
UPDATE x2 BY PATTERICO: Aaron has added some updates and moved some parts above the fold, which is fine. What follows is Aaron’s original post and updates.
______________________________________
[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here. Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]
Update (IV): What, you’re telling me this is fake?
Well, joking aside (the “real” hoax photo is below the fold), I do apologize for not seeing through it and thank Patrick for making the correction after I had gone to bed. I will move a few of the updates above the fold because they have virtually nothing to do with that hoax death pic, and I do like to see that picture of the firemen. It gives me inner zen.
Also I fully concur that it was boneheaded to dispose of the body. I mean there is no recovering it, right? (Sound off if I am wrong.) I would guess that they were concerned about keeping the body secure if they didn’t dispose of it, perhaps even a fear that any location holding it would be a terror target. But given how many people are convinced that Elvis and Tupac are still alive, they should have kept the body so they could prove he was dead. Hopefully, they got lots of pictures, videos, DNA samples and even testimony from the wives that reportedly survived the firefight. I would just stress that I am much more concerned about the bad guys claiming his death was faked to help recruitment than any non-terrorist American doubting it.
Update: Let me stress, this is far from confirmed, but fwiw, here it is.
Update (II): The AP has video from the alleged compound, which is on fire in the video.
Update (III): And this is a great shot:
Here’s the original post, as is.
————————
The National Review says that this is allegedly the photo of bin Laden, dead. I’ll put it below the fold [actually, the whole post is now below the fold — P] because it is on the gruesome side. But these photos have to be shown, as Micheal Yon said, to break the Cult of Osama.
So the photos need to be out there. And will be below the fold.
The story is that this was sent to the father of a Marine. But Yon said he wanted a hi-res photo, and I agree. They have to release something better than this.
(Oh, and can we bury him with pigs, too?)
Mind you, if you don’t want to look there is nothing wrong with not looking. This is for those who have to be convinced his monster is dead, including those who want the peace of mind of being sure he is gone.
[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]
he looks so hurt and scared
happyfeet (760ba3) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:00 pmlike he’s saying ohnoes please please let me live I’ll do anything… ANYTHING
happyfeet (760ba3) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:01 pmA.W. – Jawas were calling this one a fake.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:11 pmDaley
i don’t know. and i am up too late already. we’ll see.
Aaron Worthing (73a7ea) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:12 pmA.W. – I don’t know either. Just passin’ it on.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:15 pmGod’s justice…And His mercy on the folks who lost loved ones, either on 9/11 or in pursuit of this murderer over the years, at least they saw justice served.
HOOYAH!, once again the SEALs get the job done.
Bob Reed (5f2db5) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:19 pmWell, it’s great that this sonofabitch is finally enjoying his. . . whatever he thought he would be enjoying at this point, but I am struck by the gloating of all my lefty friends on Facebook who are posting updates that make it sound like this is Appomatix in 1865 or Berlin in 1945. It would be grand if al Qaeda signed a surrender document aboard a battleship in the Persian Gulf, but I have feeling that nothing much has changed. This seems a whole lot more like the death of Stalin than the death of Hitler, but I hope I am wrong.
JVW (eba895) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:33 pmJeff Jacoby explained it in this column, which was published today.
Michael Ejercito (64388b) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:42 pm___________________________________
I’ll put it below the fold because it is on the gruesome side.
He looks less wizened and old than I’d thought he’d be. In fact, he seems to look not too different from the way he was in photos taken several years back.
And that image is a walk in the park compared with the shots of the hacked-up humans in Mexico, with their body parts strewn about (and a guy’s genitals stuffed in his mouth) that were posted here several weeks ago.
Mark (411533) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:45 pmComment by Michael Ejercito — 5/1/2011 @ 11:42 pm
Wow, ironic timing on that article, which I assume was written and filed before this recent development.
Obviously, I meant that the Second World War ended very shortly after Hitler died whereas the Cold War dragged on long after Stalin assumed room temperature. I hope that the “death” of bin Laden (for the record, I think he was killed almost ten years ago, though I don’t want to start that argument right now) is closer to the Hitler example than the Stalin example.
JVW (eba895) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:51 pmIt was published on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Michael Ejercito (64388b) — 5/1/2011 @ 11:54 pmLooks like he had a 9mm lobatomy.
AD-RtR/OS! (4eede7) — 5/2/2011 @ 12:00 amPigs? HA! Dress him in ladies undies and burn him in pig fat with 5th of cheap grasped to heis breast.
11Atrojan (625550) — 5/2/2011 @ 12:06 amUPDATE BY PATTERICO: Aaron posted the post below to highlight an alleged picture of Osama bin Laden dead. However, the picture is a photoshop and a fake. The origin of the picture appears to be a satire site called “Unconfirmed Sources” which published the photo during the administration of George W. Bush. The caption alleged that Osama had been killed by “stress position techniques.”
This was debunked by a commenter at Jawa (h/t daleyrocks), who gave a link that is dead — but there is a cached version that I found here.
Another reminder that in fast-moving stories it is good to be cautious. I am placing Aaron’s post below the fold.
Patterico (c218bd) — 5/2/2011 @ 12:23 amJoe Biden called George Bush this morning and screamed “Mission Accomplished, Bitch” then hung up…
But seriously, I never thought I’d see the day when wingnuts would give Obama credit for his accomplishments. I’m pleased to be proven wrong on this spectacular day for America!
Big Median (2f532a) — 5/2/2011 @ 12:46 am“However, the picture is a photoshop and a fake.”
Yeah, it doesn’t look real. Beard is way too dark for one thing.
Dave Surls (f312db) — 5/2/2011 @ 12:58 amHow disgusting.
What a terrible attitude to take. This isn’t about your political party. Osama Bin Laden killed thousands of Americans, and it turns out that we probably needed hard decisions that Bush made, such as regarding Gitmo, to catch him. Obama made the right call to go ahead and attack his compound, and that was a risky call, so sure, he deserves credit for making that decision, but to call Bush a “bitch” when he made the harder, more crucial decision? That’s playing politics with national security.
And of course, Obama did that quite a lot, too.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/2/2011 @ 5:11 amTHIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THE SON OF A BITCH GETS!! AN EYE FOR AN EYE. BURN IN HELL WITH YOUR (72) VIRGIN WHORES LOL
paul cooper (e81ff1) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:13 amvictory is finally ours!!!!! let this be known to the world whoever shall defy the united states of america shall suffer the same fate. this picture is not a fake it is the hard work of our men and women in uniform who risk their lives everyday to see that we are safe. and now that osama is dead its a new beginning to a better life.
audrey hensley (e81ff1) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:29 amAudrey – it is a known fake.
JD (b4853c) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:32 amI like the Osama on a slab in the morgue pic.
Thinking of making it my wallpaper.
Dave Surls (3406b9) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:37 amI like the FBI’s little adjustment.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:44 amAccording to the ABC blog, the Obama admin is still debating what to do with these photos.
Isn’t that kinda frustrating? He made a great call, a tough call, and then he’s voting present on this little call we all know he will eventually have to make. The longer they debate, the less effective it will be.
Come on, Obama. You did good. Get full credit from the world. Show them the ghastly pictures, even though it’s what Bush would have done.
Dustin (c16eca) — 5/2/2011 @ 9:48 amThat picture is a fake.. why is it being used all over the place.
here is the original…
http://dossier.important.free.fr/?i=6729
Peebz (227e36) — 5/2/2011 @ 10:38 amNow us Americans can now breath easier that this monster isn’t here. Ding dong the bad guy is dead!!!
Olivia (c036eb) — 5/3/2011 @ 8:19 amThe left sure love hypocrisy.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/3/2011 @ 8:30 amLike opposing Jonas Savimnbi but supporting jihadist guerrillas.
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/3/2011 @ 9:04 amSavimbi*
DohBiden (15aa57) — 5/3/2011 @ 9:05 am