Forensic Analysis Reveals Al-Qaeda's Image Doctoring

WerewolfOfVulcan writes "Wired reports that researcher Neal Krawetz revealed some very interesting things about the Al-Qaeda images broadcast in the mass media. Analysis shows that they're heavily manipulated, a discussion meant to illustrate a new technique that can spot forgery in digital media. 'Krawetz was ... able to determine that the writing on the banner behind al-Zawahiri's head was added to the image afterward. In the second picture above showing the results of the error level analysis, the light clusters on the image indicate areas of the image that were added or changed. The subtitles and logos in the upper right and lower left corners ... were all added at the same time, while the banner writing was added at a different time, likely around the same time that al-Zawahiri was added, Krawetz says.'"

so...

[zulater]

at least there is someone else as bad as me at Photoshop!

This looks shopped...

[ansomatica]

I can tell from some of the pixels and having seen quite a few shops in my time.

I like the one with Bert

[Anonymous Coward]

Evil Bert had to be photoshopped OUT of the various Al Quaeda videos 'cause he kept jumping into the frame and mugging for the camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_is_Evil [wikipedia.org]

Great

[Anonymous Coward]

I already hold an FFL (Federal Firearms License), but I don't look forward to applying for an FPL (Federal Photoshop License).

Re:This looks shopped...

[Anonymous Coward]

A WINNER IS YOU

Fake photos and pixel experts.

[Anonymous Coward]

Best fun ever is to paste a URL to a photo among a whole load of self-professed photoshop experts, and get them to identify which bit has been changed.

Hours of fun.

Re:msm

[iknownuttin]

This is not just with al-quaeda, but governments and any group that has an agenda and is media savvy - foreign or domestic.

I always wondered why there wasn't some video showing Bin Laden (and all of the big shots with Al Qaeda) eating bacon while jerking off to Barbie Dolls and getting it up the ass.

A doctored picture is worth a thousand lies

[davidwr]

The tricky part is knowing if it's been doctored.

OB /.ism: In Soviet Russia, propaganda pictures manipulate YOU!

Oh wait, that was the whole point :(.

Damn subtitles!

[dark-br]

So he doesn't have those subtitles in real life? Crap, that means the whole strategy to finding him will have to be changed once again!

Re:is this image doctored?

[mr_mischief]

Of course it's doctored. Everyone knows that ceremony takes place at dawn. Sheesh. ;-)

They also use outlook for email....

[antifoidulus]

During a video with Adam Gadahn I almost bust a gut laughing as a Microsoft Outlook email notification box popped up in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. I mean come on guys, you expect me to take you seriously but you use Outlook? Down with America, but we love the products their mega-corporations produce!

Re:Done for their safety?

[hoggoth]

If Osama has any sense of humor at all, in his next videos he will be standing in front of The Whitehouse, standing side-by-side with the Statue of Liberty, as a talking head on Mt. Rushmore, on a fake-studio set of a moon landing, etc.
Come on, you can't be all 'kill-the-infidels' ALL the time?!

Re:Done for their safety?

[Kurrurrin]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/forensics/ [wired.com]

Or maybe he did. Your google-fu is weak.

CIA and alien technology

[sbate]

Osama is actually a grey. On his planet they crash planes into buildings for fun he was just having a party and things got out of hand.

Re:Stego

[hoggoth]

Yes, the NSA has done significant steganographic analysis of the videos.
They found the hidden subtext: 'BUY MORE OVALTINE'

Re:Great

[ColdWetDog]

Just make one up with Photoshop.

Osama bin Laden has been shopping his pic

[Hoi Polloi]

After weeks of analysis and consulting with experts I've found that all images of Osama bin Laden have been digitally altered to hide his identity. Here is what he really looks like [agodamongmen.com].

what's next?

[jafac]

LOLJIHADIS?

Maybe ...

[PPH]

... they lifted his image from video of his stint guest hosting The View.

Re:Hanlon's Razor

[itchy92]

...and is hawking it as the aftermath of the tsunami in East Bumfuckistan. How would you know?

Well, that's easy: East Bumfuckistan isn't coastal. You're thinking of West Bumfuckistan.

Another Benefit of Open-Source!

[Anonymous Coward]

[...] Final Cut Studio and Photoshop make it even easier [....]

One more reason to use and support F/OSS. Doctoring photographs is so much more difficult with The GIMP.