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Russia Posts Video Game Screenshot As 'Irrefutable Proof' of US Helping IS (bbc.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the fair-use dept.

Plus1Entropy shares a report from BBC, adding: "But when I asked Putin, he said they didn't do it": Russia's Ministry of Defense has posted what it called "irrefutable proof" of the U.S. aiding so-called Islamic State -- but one of the images was actually taken from a video game. The ministry claimed the image showed an IS convoy leaving a Syrian town last week aided by U.S. forces. Instead, it came from the smartphone game AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron. The ministry said an employee had mistakenly attached the photo. The Conflict Intelligence Team fact-checking group said the other four provided were also errors, taken from a June 2016 video which showed the Iraqi Air Force attacking IS in Iraq. The video game image seems to be taken from a promotional video on the game's website and YouTube channel, closely cropped to omit the game controls and on-screen information. In the corner of the image, however, a few letters of the developer's disclaimer can still be seen: "Development footage. This is a work in progress. All content subject to change."

19 of 132 comments (clear)

  1. Does this mean.. by fred911 · · Score: 4, Funny

    we can't be friends?

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    1. Re:Does this mean.. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Insightful

      we can't be friends?

      America and Russia are moving closer in many ways. During the Cold War, Americans were sometimes baffled when the Russians would tell baldfaced lies directly into the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Back then, most Americans believed in objective truth, while that has never really been part of Russian culture, whether under the Czar, Communism, or Putinism. But now America is finally catching up on the malleability of facts.

    2. Re:Does this mean.. by Dread_ed · · Score: 2

      Well said, person. The term "narrative" is just another way of saying "blatant historical lies designed to agitate and motivate the mindless." As complacency and partisanship firmly sink into the great vacuum that is the American common consciousness, lies like these become the only way to manufacture consent. Facts are distasteful to the majority because they have staked their identity on falsehoods. Only more lies, and continually more extreme ones, will suffice to activate their self-defense instinct when those lies threaten their false identity. As a result, they are relatively immune to reason, logic, and real self interest and incredibly susceptible to manipulation by those who know the "narrative" (lies) they have internalized.

      If you need any further explanation why America is as fucked up as it is you are just looking for me to lie to you.

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      When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
  2. Maybe they should hack a dictionary.com ... by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny

    "irrefutable proof"

    ... 'cause Russia's Ministry of Defense doesn't seem to know what either of those words mean.

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    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
    1. Re:Maybe they should hack a dictionary.com ... by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Espionage Contractors are always lazy and greedy, doesn't matter which government they work for, more interested in profits that the truth, which is why they should never be used (they will lie, if those lies sell, no matter the consequences). It will be interesting to track down the individual who supplied that image to be included in the content distributed by the Russian government. Contractors will always tell the lie that generates the most profit they feel they can get away with, rather than the truth and when caught out, simply blame foreign intelligence services as an excuse (when it comes to spying failure is the accepted norm and success an exceptional effort). When it comes to keeping the other guy out, success is the norm and failure is exceptionally bad (hence the often lazy greedy effort to fabricate data that sells).

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      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  3. In Soviet Russia ... by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... the game edits the evidence footage.

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    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  4. VODKA by Zorro · · Score: 4, Funny

    Makes you say many things.

  5. Re:Hard to find the truth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We can recognize Russian deflection.

    Seriously, a still from a video game? Amateur hour, Ivan.

  6. Re:Hard to find the truth by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is Baghdad Bob drinking vodka these days?

  7. It won't be long now ... by naubol · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Until we won't even be able to prove it's fake.

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    Reality is a slackware box running on a 386 tucked away in god's sock drawer.
  8. AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron by mapkinase · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Headquarters of AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron game:

    "THANK YOU, GOD!"

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    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
  9. Virtually assured destruction. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can't wait until the Russians see what kind of military hardware we have in other video games. They are going to be totally scared.

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    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  10. Re:Hard to find the truth by blindseer · · Score: 2

    Absolutly!

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    I am armed because I am free. I am free because I am armed.
  11. Would've been better with Yoda by aoeusnth · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Russians are total amateurs. This is how you do world-class incompetence.

    1. Re:Would've been better with Yoda by turp182 · · Score: 2

      The other stuff that artist has done is awesome.

      In case you haven't seen it, here's Darth Vader circa WWI:
      http://edgeofarabia.com/artist...

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      BlameBillCosby.com
  12. Re:Hard to find the truth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's going to be really hard to find the truth about US foreign policy during the Obama administration. After all, the truth about the IS and Benghazi was likely in Hillary's emails. When will the Democrats finally allow a special prosecutor to be appointed to find out about the content of those emails and other crimes committed by Hillary?

    I guess the 7 inquiries into Benghazi already completed by the Republicans were thwarted by Hillary's incredible Ninja training. Either that or you're just an asshole.

  13. In other news... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Breitbart is showing video footage from Wolfenstein 2 as proof that Antifa is violent.

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    You are welcome on my lawn.
  14. Wasn't that the plan all along? by CSMoran · · Score: 3, Insightful

    #1. Post obvious fake news.
    #2. See who retweets and shares it.
    #3. Update DB of extremely gullible people.
    #4. Focus subsequent propaganda better.
    #5. Profit!

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    Every end has half a stick.
  15. Re:Hard to find the truth by Ksevio · · Score: 2

    why was the US diplomatic/CIA annex attacked?

    Because they were US buildings that the radicals could target easily.

    Who attacked them?

    Ansar al-Sharia

    What was the attackers' relationship with the US prior to the attack?

    Hostile.

    Who did Ambassador Stevens meet with just prior to the attack?

    A Turkish diplomat

    Why was this group not attacked?

    Turkey is an ally of the US, Ansar al-Sharia was attacked.