There are statues and symbols in U.S. control that are particularly onerous to Baghdad oppositionists and some were the scene of symbolic events. This stutue has no distinction nor signature location (in fact it was put up last year). However, THIS statue was DIRECTLY in front of the Palestine Hotel, where many of the 'cityscape' cameras had been set up. I should even add to Nomi's list: the Iraqi flag that was pulled out was quite symbolically to all Iraqis the PREVIOUS Iraqi flag. Someone just happened to be walking by with it in his pocket?
All right to illustrate the point about how much PR events are staged, I will convince you that I am also a probable 'moon land-er'. I was a volunteer rescue worker at the WTC on "the pile" the first week. A couple of days into it (but still at the edge of the typical survival range) Bush showed up. We were all ordered off the pile (rescue work was stopped for half hours!) and to the side. We watched as a group of totally unknown outside people were brought in and posed behind Bush and the fireman. They had done no rescue work, had no rescue tools, and did not, by appearance, have relevant skills. They did however chant USA, USA, USA something none of us rescue workers would have been of a mind to do. To my knowledge they were bused out immediately after the photo op and I never saw them again. Later we were allowed to resume digging for survivors and bodies.
So you doubt me? Everyone who worked on the pile for the briefest of time (in fact anyone who was even near the event) was covered head to toe with an unforgettable unique grey dust (really a lime grit that chemically burned our lungs, producing the 'WTC cough'). Check any photo of the first few days to confirm this. Next time they replay that clip on TV look at the group of people behind Bush and the fireman - impeccably clean clothes everyone of them!
At 06:17 PM 4/9/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>You do realize that you sound an awful lot like the people who say that
>the moon landings were all shot on a sound-stage in Arizona, don't you?
>
>--On Wednesday, April 9, 2003 19.44 -0400 Nomiprins at aol.com wrote:
>>A few questions went through my mind while watching:
>>1) Who found the hammer?
>>2) Why only one - jubilation and liberation only warranted one hammer?
>>3) Why did one of the hammerers stop in mid swipe to look over their
>>shoulders at the camera for
>>a photo-op? 4) How did the rope materialize - hardware store by the square?
>
>--
>| Kenton A. Hoover / Private Citizen / shibumi at marchordie.org |
>
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