tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post115501098565634364..comments2024-02-24T03:46:01.305-05:00Comments on Fred Fry International: Lucky AP and AFP Photographers in Lebanon?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1160496852812751382006-10-10T12:14:00.000-04:002006-10-10T12:14:00.000-04:00Greetings, Interesting stuff. However, I'm su...Greetings,<BR/><BR/> Interesting stuff. However, I'm sure others have already pointed out that the UNIFIL mandates require the UN troops to be defensively armed, including heavy machine-guns, mortars, anti-tank weapons, etc., as over the last thirty years they have been attacked by the PLO, Lebanese Christians, Syrians, Israelis, and various Lebanese Moslem and Communist factions in South Lebanon, resulting in many UN deaths & injuries. Only the traditional UN Observers (such as UNTSO, also in that area) are unarmed.<BR/> T. KoppelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155196189317177172006-08-10T03:49:00.000-04:002006-08-10T03:49:00.000-04:00Fred - there are two seperate UN missions: UNIFIL ...Fred - there are two seperate UN missions: UNIFIL and UNTSO. The observers killed were from UNTSO which is why they were a mix of nationalities and unarmed. UNIFIL has battalions from different countries (Ghanaians and Indians for example currently IIRC) and they are armed. Their mandates are a bit different as well.<BR/><BR/>On the rockets - is it really that hard to get a photo of them? Hezbollah has been firing hundreds of the things virtually everyday. Presumably if you are hanging out in the South of Lebanon for a long enough with a camera you'll see them. I don't see what Hezb would have to gain from having these pics taken - all it shows is exactly what the Israelis claim: that they are firing from in or near civilian areas.Toby - Northern Light Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14342195033125549912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155133132196482972006-08-09T10:18:00.000-04:002006-08-09T10:18:00.000-04:00The background doesn't look fake to me: it looks t...The background doesn't look fake to me: it looks to me like the photo was taken with a very long lens, or perhaps cropped from a much larger photo. If you can only find thumbnails then it's probably because the original picture was cropped.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, if you find a high-res version of the photo then it means that it was taken with a long lens pointed in exactly the right direction - which is rather suspicious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155057951390604392006-08-08T13:25:00.000-04:002006-08-08T13:25:00.000-04:00The guy with the rifle is french, so technically, ...The guy with the rifle is french, so technically, he <I>is</I> unarmed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155057284151336782006-08-08T13:14:00.000-04:002006-08-08T13:14:00.000-04:00Lawhawk,Yes, I can see in the photos the smoke tra...Lawhawk,<BR/><BR/>Yes, I can see in the photos the smoke trails that these were not the first of the rockets to be launched. (I might not have made that clear in the post.)<BR/><BR/>I don't think it is too easy to actually catch the launching of these rockets. There are very few pictures out there of actual launchings. Or perhaps those types of photos do not further the Hezbollah agenda...<BR/><BR/>Your explanation would explain why there were two photographers up there that morning. They decided to wait it out together. But why that morning? Someone give them a head-up? And why were they basically standing on top of each other when they took the photos.Fred Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532681496977057474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155056608493123722006-08-08T13:03:00.000-04:002006-08-08T13:03:00.000-04:00"I'd be armed to the teeth, my friend. Wouldn't yo..."I'd be armed to the teeth, my friend. Wouldn't you?"<BR/><BR/>Yes I would and I'm glad to see that this guy was. It was idiotic to have the 'observers' on the border unarmed. Good luck getting the UN to admit that.Fred Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532681496977057474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155056118480654132006-08-08T12:55:00.001-04:002006-08-08T12:55:00.001-04:00I persoanlly wouldn't care if I was the UNIFIL mem...I persoanlly wouldn't care if I was the UNIFIL member pictured. As many UN people that have already been killed by friendly fire, and who knows what those Hezbollah nuts might do? <BR/><BR/>I'd be armed to the teeth, my friend. Wouldn't you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-1155056105851597712006-08-08T12:55:00.000-04:002006-08-08T12:55:00.000-04:00Interesting points about the rocket launches. Howe...Interesting points about the rocket launches. However, here's something about those rocket launchers and cameras that might be useful to keep in mind.<BR/><BR/>To where to point the camera in these rocket launches, I'd suggest that after the first rocket is launched, your eyes and ears will point you towards the source, and since we're talking about katuyshas, where there's one launch, there's bound to be more. So you could simply point at the origin of the vapor trails, set your camera to the sports setting (multiple shots per second, and off you go). In no time, you could end up with a couple of usuable shots. Pick the best of the bunch, and submit to your photo editor for payment. With a couple hundred rockets being launched every day from a relatively small area all someone has to do is pick out a relatively high vantage point and wait for the rockets to start flying.<BR/><BR/>As for the UNIFIL soldier, the UNIFIL website provides that while there are several hundred unarmed observers, the UNIFIL contingent has about 2000 lightly armed soldiers as well. The bulk of those forces are not at the outposts that Hizbullah uses as cover, but at bases that the UNIFIL maintains in South Lebanon.lawhawkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15889665525855810105noreply@blogger.com