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ARG Digitally Manipulates Picture Of Ghani With Tillerson

On Monday, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a secret visit to Afghanistan where he met with President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah at the heavily fortified Bagram Airbase outside Kabul. It was a meeting that was only publicly announced once the US official had left the country.

Following his departure, the US embassy in Kabul issued a statement regarding his visit. So too did the Presidential Palace (ARG).

Both sent out similar photographs of Tillerson and Ghani, along with each party’s delegation.

However, the pictures issued differ and it is clearly evident that ARG digitally manipulated the photograph that was posted to its Facebook page – stating the meeting had been in Kabul.

This was not the case – the meeting had been held at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province.

On the US embassy’s photo, Tillerson and Ghani sit side-by-side. Above them are two large-screen TVs and above these is a digital clock and a red fire alarm.

However, the version uploaded to Facebook by ARG appears to have been taken in the same room but it has been digitally manipulated - both the clock and the alarm box have been removed.

The New York Times reported that the large digital clock showing “Zulu time” — the military term for Coordinated Universal Time — and a red fire alarm behind Tillerson and Ghani, is a giveaway that the meeting was held at an American military facility.

Graphic designers approached for comment said there was no doubt the photograph had been digitally manipulated by ARG and that the clock and alarm had been removed – possibly photoshopped.

“The picture is photoshopped,” photographer and graphic designer Mustafa said. 

Critics have said however that manipulating photographs should not be ignored and that the ethics of the move should be investigated.  

“Photoshopping a picture is an obvious violation in the media and in some cases it can be investigated. It would be a good idea for the presidential palace to explain their decision to publish this,” Sediqullah Tawhidi, a member of the Journalists Safety Committee said. 

One critic went as far as to say Ghani had violated diplomatic principles – especially as being president, he left the capital for a neighboring province to meet with the secretary of state who is on the level of a minister.

ARG has also come under fire for putting out inaccurate information to the media – not only through the photograph but also in their statement that said the meeting took place in Kabul.

“The more false information given to the people, the more government will suffer. Thus, honesty in the president's moves and regaining peoples' trust are the very important principles,” Lawyer Ainuddin Bahaduri said. 

Once again this raises questions regarding the validity of information issued by government.

One key example in the past has been that of Qalandar district in Khost province which has been under Taliban control for years. The district governor works out of a container in the provincial capital yet government is adamant the district is under its control.

ARG Digitally Manipulates Picture Of Ghani With Tillerson

Presidential Palace has come under fire for having digitally manipulated a photograph and for having issued false information regarding to venue of Monday’s meeting.

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On Monday, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid a secret visit to Afghanistan where he met with President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah at the heavily fortified Bagram Airbase outside Kabul. It was a meeting that was only publicly announced once the US official had left the country.

Following his departure, the US embassy in Kabul issued a statement regarding his visit. So too did the Presidential Palace (ARG).

Both sent out similar photographs of Tillerson and Ghani, along with each party’s delegation.

However, the pictures issued differ and it is clearly evident that ARG digitally manipulated the photograph that was posted to its Facebook page – stating the meeting had been in Kabul.

This was not the case – the meeting had been held at Bagram Airfield in Parwan province.

On the US embassy’s photo, Tillerson and Ghani sit side-by-side. Above them are two large-screen TVs and above these is a digital clock and a red fire alarm.

However, the version uploaded to Facebook by ARG appears to have been taken in the same room but it has been digitally manipulated - both the clock and the alarm box have been removed.

The New York Times reported that the large digital clock showing “Zulu time” — the military term for Coordinated Universal Time — and a red fire alarm behind Tillerson and Ghani, is a giveaway that the meeting was held at an American military facility.

Graphic designers approached for comment said there was no doubt the photograph had been digitally manipulated by ARG and that the clock and alarm had been removed – possibly photoshopped.

“The picture is photoshopped,” photographer and graphic designer Mustafa said. 

Critics have said however that manipulating photographs should not be ignored and that the ethics of the move should be investigated.  

“Photoshopping a picture is an obvious violation in the media and in some cases it can be investigated. It would be a good idea for the presidential palace to explain their decision to publish this,” Sediqullah Tawhidi, a member of the Journalists Safety Committee said. 

One critic went as far as to say Ghani had violated diplomatic principles – especially as being president, he left the capital for a neighboring province to meet with the secretary of state who is on the level of a minister.

ARG has also come under fire for putting out inaccurate information to the media – not only through the photograph but also in their statement that said the meeting took place in Kabul.

“The more false information given to the people, the more government will suffer. Thus, honesty in the president's moves and regaining peoples' trust are the very important principles,” Lawyer Ainuddin Bahaduri said. 

Once again this raises questions regarding the validity of information issued by government.

One key example in the past has been that of Qalandar district in Khost province which has been under Taliban control for years. The district governor works out of a container in the provincial capital yet government is adamant the district is under its control.

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