Iraqian Frontline: Images from Moblogging Soldiers IV

[Update July 11, 2004: It turned out that finally some/most of the images presented by one or more moblogging soldier at Yafro as an image taken by himself/themselves, were probably stolen; very often from professional photojournalists. Explanation here and here. We tried to assign a proper copyright to all photos of doubtful origin.]

Update to these stories ("Iraqian Frontline: Images from Moblogging Soldiers III" and "Iraqian Frontline: Images from Moblogging Soldiers II") :

First off, five of the images presented here ("Iraqian Frontline: Images from Moblogging Soldiers II") are not online anymore. These images from fun11b.yafro.com and tiredandirtysoldier.yafro.com have been removed or censored in the past 18 days. Just look at the images and the text and you´ll understand why (click on an image to enlarge it; the text under each image is highlighted as a link and points to the original link at yafro.com -- now pointing to nowhere):

"In rememberance of 3 soldiers that died in our battalion. They were great soldiers , and will never be forgotten !"

"some camel that didn't want to move for us"

"we had 5 soldiers killed on wensday this is not a picture of it i am not going to post a picture of it untill i have edited it they were rideing in a m-113 that is the track vechial in the picture that is right in front of the camera the insurgents used 400 pounds of c-4 and when it went off it blew that armored m 113 into nothing 5 were killed instantly and one was criticley wounded the blast crater was 10 feet deep and 20 ft wide the good thing is that the guys who were killed never knew that they had been hit it was so quick i hope it is like that for me"

"Fallujah cemetery of the Americans." is what the sign says"

"this was taken at camp anaconda in baghdad i was swimming in saddams pool it was taken last summer yes i peed in it"

Who had removed the pictures? The two soldiers themselves?


The third image presented above was originally followed by another image. This one:

"they dont seem to learn that even when they have the element of surprise it still wont turn out in their favor"

This last image is still online. Without the context of the first image it is getting a complete new and inverse significance.

All five removed pictures have a special symbolic content and they come along without bestiality or shocking scenery. Personally we do not think that the two soldiers have removed their images themselves. They might fight in different locations in Iraq and don´t know each other. Clearly this seems to be a sign of active and centralized censorship.


The 15 pictures initially presented here ("WHO DELIVERS THE ICONIC WAR IMAGES - PROS OR AMATEURS?") are all still online.


TheTiredDirtySoldier is still online, but not listed anymore at Frontline Yafros.

[Update July 10, 2004: It turned out that finally some/most of the images presented by one or more moblogging soldier at Yafro as an image taken by himself/themselves, were probably stolen; very often from professional photojournalists. Explanation here. We tried to assign a proper copyright to all photos of doubtful origin.]