AbbaGav

I decided to wade through the swamp of pictures Yahoo has available on the "Mideast Conflict." Not unexpectedly, I found the collection of pictures overall to take an incredibly negative view. The Reuters and AP photographers, both in Israel and Iraq, seem attracted only to pictures of corpses, bombed out cars, wailing widows, and power politicos throwing their weight around. Very few pictures (maybe none) of cooperation, US or IDF soldiers helping anyone as is wont to happen once in a while. This phenomenon is well-documented already, however, so I won't dwell on it too much. Instead, I'd like to present a few photos that caught my attention, together with their captions. I have corrected a few captions (any marked with a *) to more accurately capture the context of the photo, but the attribution remains, and clicking on the photo will lead to the original photo and caption at Yahoo.

The father of one of two Palestinians killed in a blast in Gaza, cries in Shifa hospital in Gaza City May 29, 2005. Two militants from the Fatah-linked al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades died and three were critically wounded in a blast in an orchard in Gaza city when a Palestinian bomb exploded prematurely, a Palestinian security source said. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Ouch, that's gotta hurt. The anguish as this man realizes his son has screwed up, detonating himself without taking any Jews with him. The promise of the heavenly virgins had been so close, and now -- bupkis. Of course, Reuters is right on the scene to publish and preserve the misery: one more grieving Palestinian father, his son lost to the struggle against brutal Israeli occupation. The fact that Israelis had nothing to do with this man's grief, except for failing to die in great numbers, is secondary.

Palestinian children collect body parts of two Palestinian militants of the Al Aqsa Martyrs brigades killed east of Gaza city, Sunday, May 29, 2005. the two militants were killed and three seriously wounded when explosives they were carrying detonated in their car, Palestinians said. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

Well, here's one more game for the kids at home: while most kids are playing hide-and-seek, or doing scavenger hunts, the Palestinians have their kids out playing spot-the-spleen. The goal is to climb the tree and whoever collects the most body parts gets a few jellybeans and a colorful "I hate the Jews" sticker. I hope the winner washes his hands before he eats his candy.

In this picture released by the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, foreground right, reviews an honor guard with King Mohammed VI of Morocco during an official visit to Rabat, Morocco Saturday, May 28, 2005. (AP Photo/Palestinian Authority/Omar Rashidi)

In the US, bloggers are portrayed in the media as the End Of Truth In Reporting, a pajama-clad army mobilized by the forces of darkness. But it appears that Morocco knows how to treat the pajamahadeen properly: white pajamas freshly laundered, invitations to meet "heads of state", fancy blue caps, and even slippers -- not to mention handing out guns!

An elderly Palestinian woman attending a rally supporting the Fatah movement is overwhelmed by intense Woodstock flashbacks and the spirit of universal peace.(Nayef Hashlamoun/Reuters) *

The President, in response to a question as to how the 50 million dollar aid package to the Palestinians came about, demonstrates his new diplomatic strategy: the Bush Pucker. *(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

An officer acting as a protester leaps as he kicks Palestinian security force officers dressed in riot gear as they practice crowd control during training at the Arafat Academy for police in Gaza City, Sunday, May 29, 2005. The Palestinian Authority is training security force officers to help secure the coastal Gaza Strip area that Israel is to evacuate this summer, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Saturday, May 28, 2005. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

I'm sorry, this is just too rich. Are they joking? The Arafat Academy is teaching crowd control? Ok. Then follow up lessons will be held for these students at the Hannibal Lechter Cooking School.
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