The Iranian Missile Photos -- Be Very Afraid

We know about the Photoshopping (authorized copy or bootleg?) of the fourth missile into the photo of the Iranian missile launch printed around the world this week. But, while spotting the missile that wasn't launched, world media may have missed a bigger story.

An Iranian blogger posts this week's photo along with a photo of a Iranian missile launch that was taken two years ago, and suggests that they are, um, the same photo.

Just think what people like this could do to a US base in the region -- or at least to the photo of one.

Comments

[vipersdad]

I printed these on mylar and overlaid one on the other. They appear identical. It was difficult but not impossible to get them to be the same exact dimensions. I'm now convinced they are of the same event. Whether it happened recently or two years ago remains to be discovered but to me, there is compelling reason to believe it's the same incident. The second photo has been played with (contrast, brightness, etc... "tweaked") but not by someone who is very skilled with photoshop.

You could argue that they used the same site but features like the tire tracks in the desert should vary to some extent, but the fact that the cloud features are identical tell me that these two pictures are either exactly the same, or were snapped within milliseconds of one another.

The only variation I can find appears to be in the smoke at the ground level and even that is remarkably close.

[jeg]

The two photos definitely appear to be of the same event, one shot almost immediately after the other, probably from the same camera.

[Twopennygal]

I wasn't sure, but they are of the same event " while you might be able to argue that everything else might have stayed the same over the two years, even to time of day, the clouds couldn"t possibly be the same two years later. The clouds are the same in the two photos.

[fogbreath]

Since the MSM takes every Bush admin statement as fact, why shouldn't they do the same with selected statements from the Iranian government?
believe them when they say: "Death to America" don't believe them when they say: "we have no nuclear weapons program."
freedom of the press can mean freedom from facts,thought, or reason, if that is the way the publisher wants to interpret it.

[avvocato]

Perhaps Colin Powell is preparing a Powerpoint (R) presentation as we now speak!

[JoePalooka]

So what was the *point* of their silly exercise in releasing the photo? It's sort of like a possum curling up and pretending he's dead, in front of a predator. Pretty desperate and risky!

[mostlyharmless]

pretty effective . . . iran is positioning itself as the most powerful ally to have in the region, if you are an arab and/or muslim state and wish to protect yourself from american crusading/imperialism

[randyjet]

Actually, it is pretty stupid. Most Islamic countries do not much care for Iranians since they are Shia, which is a decided minority. The only thing nukes are good for is use against those who don't have them. Use against Israel would mean nuclear anihilation, and lots of radioactive fallout for Iran's neighbors. I'm sure that Syria would love that, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE etc..
Also, if you know any Iranians, they are quite proud of the fact that they are NOT Arab in any way shape or form.

[mostlyharmless]

if americans could learn a lesson from this story, it should be that rhetoric and reality are two different things . . . of course, we already know that, having heard the bush administration's rhetoric justifying the iraq war

[DRaymond]

The two pictures are undoubtedly from the same site and close to the same time of day, but there are enough differences in the clouds that it might be separate tests.

[mostlyharmless]

the clouds IN THE SKY are identical, but taken from a slightly different angle

[Chillinout]

It looks like that because they shrunk the second photo, trying to make it look different. Plus, how could they get the missiles into the same exact positions, and have them all go off in the same exact order?

They are the same photos.

[hopeless277]

They used less than photos to justify their war for Iraqi oil. They don't need anything to go after the Iranian oil.

[CanadianAmerican]

Definitely the same photo - or one from the same location & virtually the same time (2 years ago). I wonder if the "intelligence" community noticed this before the blogger.

[Chillinout]

Of course not, that wouldn't fit in with the directive from the Boosh criminals.

[mostlyharmless]

they would be incapable of such an observation . . . if a fact doesn't fit the boosh paradigm of iran = bogeyman, it's invisible!

[RRK70]

Surely they did. The whole notion that the "CIA dropped the ball" on Iraqi WMD is a farce put on by the NeoCons in the administration to shift blame from their shoulder to "faulty intelligence". CIA had plenty of correct intelligence, as did the State Department and others, but those voices were quashed. Ever hear of the Office of Special Plans or the name Doug Feith?

[Plowboy]

Unlike another country we could name, Iran is not threatening to attack any nation. In fact, Ahmedinejad and others have been saying to any who listen that they will not be getting into any wars.
On the other hand, there is a certain nation which has been constantly threateniung pre-emptive attacks on Iran. Even such threats violate the UN charter and international law.
But then, what do we care about international law? Bush has proclaimed us above such considerations. And if we are, cedrtainly, our masters are!

[Liberal2]

Yes they are. Umm, guess you don't consider Israel a nation.