[lbo-talk] that Marine photo

[John Thornton]

Unless the investigators can get the original data still in the camera (I'm 
assuming it's a digital camera) they can never know for certain if it has 
been altered. I have a copy downloaded from the net and it does not have 
any obvious signs of being Photoshopped. I work with Photoshop for a living 
and feel I am as capable as almost anyone else of making such a 
determination. It could be a very professionally done alteration but 
generally people playing stupid pranks wouldn't spend the necessary time to 
do such a job. Most alterations are done at a level that anyone with very 
basics skills could achieve. My feeling is this is genuine but I doubt 
anyone will ever know for certain. Finding irregularities in the underlying 
code of a digital image is a process still in it's infancy and cannot be 
reliably used to ascertain the validity of a digital image. I also expect 
the Marines to come out with a statement saying they know or believe the 
image is altered just to cover their boys ass. Most people will take them 
at their word.

John Thornton


>At 11:57 AM -0400 4/21/04, editor at thesmokinggun.com wrote:
>>A soldier who served in Iraq has told Marine officials that an offensive 
>>picture of him circulating online was doctored, leading military brass to 
>>call in criminal investigators to handle the photographic sleuthing:
>>
>>http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0419042iraq1.html