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First Steganographic Image Found In The Wild
Niels Provos writes: "After months of searching for steganographic content on eBay and
elsewhere -- downloading millions of images, we were finally able to
find an image with a stegangraphic message hidden in it. Stegdetect and Stegbreak made short process with it. It took less
than a second to compute the secret key necessary to extract the
hidden message. Two commands at the prompt, and we found the hidden
message to be an image of B-52 scrapyard. Right off Terraserver."
"of course we needed to visit all these pr0n sites! that's where 70% of all the images on the web are!"
- This isn't the sig you're looking for. Move along, move along..
While the above post was meant to be humorous, it brings up an important point. The Taliban doesn't always utilize the most high tech tools, and for good reasons - they are often easy to track and/or detect. Instead, they are likely to use low tech mothods to hide their messages. Certain phrases, for example, in bin Laden's statements quite possible are intended to send an additional pre-defined meaning. This is something that only human reconnaissance can effectively decode.
Is it some sort of MTV-esque "Look at how bad I am, I like Thompson!' thing?
Perhaps partially. I admire and respect Thompson because gonzo journalism was, at its onset, a new and refreshing change from more traditional reporting styles. It was a partially successful experiment, and worthy of trying.
But perhaps more importantly I admire anyone who is able to flagrantly flout society's conventions and morality and be successful doing so. Since the mainstream media continues to hound upon the virtues of leading a pure and chaste life, it is refreshing to have someone show that extreme debauchery does not necessarily lead to a life of tragedy, if you are smart about it. I don't consider him a "drug crazy retard", but a journalist who has pursued (and abandoned) some interesting styles and who is a better-than-average writer.
What have you read by him?
For some reason, I'm addicted to responding to flamage. Anyways I just wanted to point out that the US really doesn't want Bin Laden handed over. Because the war is against the Al-Qaeda network as a whole. If Bin Laden was removed, it would do absolutly nothing but remove a figure head. And would at the same time cause much support to be withdrawn, as much of the mindset of the people is against the one person. Untill that mindset can be changed, it would be a win for Al-Qaeda to hand over Bin Laden. So why would the US want to give the Al-Qaeda proof, and risk having such an event happen.
Before you throw the idea out, consider that more civilians in the Middle East have died as a result of American action than the other way around.
And as you point out, one can't just sit back and let these things continue. One must seek justice. I have a feeling that the attackers said the same things.
Wish I had a solution to offer.