“Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.” ~Â Eric Hoffer
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After watching with absolute disgust ISIS latest video release, featuring the executions of 18-20 ‘Syrian Nusayri Officers and Pilots’, and former Army Ranger Peter Kassig, I noticed some subtle and not-so-subtle differences compared to the previous videos. So I’m going to take the liberty of sharing them right here.
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PRODUCTION QUALITY Â – THEY’VE GOT A BRAND NEW GEEK
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All the previous ISIS video releases, while better than the prior videos from AQ and others are no match for the effort and skillset that went into creating this latest one. They must have a new shithead (probably this guy) working on the post-production and effects which this time included, slow-motion, and overlaid sound effects, all synced perfectly with what appears to be well-rehearsed footage (more on that later).
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RELEASE TIMING – THEY’RE TRICKLE-DRIPPINGÂ
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Ever since their execution of Steven Sotloff, I’ve believed that the beheadings of the Westerners were all carried out the same day or at least the same week, then references to current events around the time of each release date were dubbed over to make it appear to the world that the ‘latest’ victim had only recently had his head forcibly removed. This minimizes the risks for them, and maximizes the propaganda value and psychological impact to everyone else. Also add the fact that it was widely reported only days before that ‘Jihadi John’, their knife-wielding poster-boy had been injured in a recent airstrike, which if true, further supports the theory that the western hostages were likely long dead, before ISIS got round to trickle releasing the footage.
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GLARING OMMISION – KASSIG FOUGHT BACK
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All the other beheadings of Westerners they have carried out, showed the hostage in his orange jumpsuit on camera. Â All were forced to read a statement, and the camera only cut away at the moment the knife was beginning to cut them. The next thing you are presented with is the victims head placed on top of their body. But Not this time. The only reference to Kassig was later, after the Nusayri officers killing (and a completely separate cut, edit and time, without all the post-production quality mentioned above) and simply featured Jihadi John with what he claimed was Kassigs’ head at his feet, warning the US to back off. It’s as though they wanted to divert with shock and awe away from Kassigs’ murder.
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Still capture image (I’ve blurred out the head because I don’t want to post it on my blog):
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Head of Kassig at the feet of ‘Jihadi John’ – unlike previous execution videos, we see only this.
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One of the big gains for and aims of ISIS when creating these despicable videos is to humiliate westerners and show other westerners and also potential jihadis how powerful they are and how weak we are. Unlike previous videos this one did not include a statement from Kassig or show Kassig’s beheading, making it impossible to determine whether he was killed by beheading or was beheaded after being killed. So why the change all of a sudden?
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I think there was no usable footage with Kassigs’ execution. Given his background, I believe Kassig disrupted proceedings so much so, the footage useless to them. For some it’s a well-known survival tactic, as a former Airborne Ranger, not a journalist, Kassig would have known this, he would have also known at the very least it would save his family from having to see the actual murder. He could have done this in many ways for example; fighting back, if he could reach it – constantly knocking the camera over, or even shouting one of their real names repeatedly, as a consequence, they thought fuckit and shot him, then removed his head later. Thus Kassig denied them the pre-murder/murder footage of a downtrodden, broken westerner they required. Something happened there. Something that prevented them from sticking to their original recipe. #RLTW
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FORMAT CHANGE – ALLAH DOESN’T CARE HOW YOU OFF YOURSELF, AS LONG AS YOU DO
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I’ve been writing this entire post, off the cuff, as I think of how to articulate things I noticed when watching the latest video. I absolutely do not want to embed or even link to these executions, but I promise, you will not understand exactly what I’m talking about from this point forward if you don’t see the pre-amble with your own eyes. So I’ve found a video of the ‘production’ WITHOUT the actual mass beheadings, because the full version is really fucking nasty. Only the Chechen beheadings I have seen are worse.
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Now, I know some might say I’m ‘tinfoiling’ on this last section and I agree, ain’t nobody got time for that, but the simultaneous execution of the captured ‘Nusayri Syrian Officers and Pilots’ – for me is more than troubling.
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So, here’s the ‘production’ (minus the gore), as you can see it’s far more advanced than any previous efforts:
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 Anyone else think this whole thing is… well… ‘off’ somehow?
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Look at these guys demeanor. Clearly this was a well-rehearsed execution. Everyone is calm, knows exactly what subtle-gesture to make at just the right time. There’s 18-20 guys here, all about to get beheaded (and make no mistake they really do get beheaded) and not one of them has a really convincing look of terror in their eyes, panic, or even a pounding chest. Some of them literally appear to ‘play to the camera’ on occasion, (1:50 and 1:55) thus heightening the drama. They also don’t appear to be drugged. I’m not saying these guys didn’t get murdered, because they most definitely were, but watch the video again. It’s almost like everyone, including the victims are willing participants, or to put it another way… ‘volunteers’.  Also notice how clean these guys are, compared to western hostages. *Almost* ‘Martyr clean’? Their jumpsuits still had fresh-out of-the-packet fold creases in them.
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That said, there’s another explanation, we all know that hostages, in certain parts of the world, are subject to daily ‘mock executions’. Effectively ‘drilled’ in what it’s like to be about to die. They say anticipation of death is worse than death itself. It’s designed to break the spirit. The only thing that tells them they are not gonna die right here, right now, is the fact the pistol behind their head just clicked, and a lead slug didn’t exit through their face.
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Maybe it was just another one of the many many daily ‘dry runs’ to these guys. Another daily ‘practice’…. only shit got real this time.
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 Now consider this;
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 There is no shortage of froot-loops willing to don the vest and suicide themselves for their jihad. Often when the bomber is the provider their families are paid and looked after, ISIS have got tons of money. How far removed is it,  considering how insane these fanatics have proved themselves to be already, to imagine, especially when you watch that footage above that this isn’t propaganda? Also, we haven’t heard any ‘officially verified’ comunique from Syria regarding the murder of nearly 20 of their Nusayri people.
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LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
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Only a couple of days ago, for reasons I’m not going into here, I deleted a tweet from back on 20 September 2014. The keen eyes among you will remember it. Having gone over the new ISIS video more than a few times something finally jumped out. I guess I couldn’t see the forest for the trees. Allow me to show you…..
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Here’s the tweet I deleted as archived by ‘Inagist’:
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Notice I link to a location on Google Maps – this location, to be exact:Â goo.gl/maps/wu52GÂ – for completeness, here’s a screenshot too and I’ve highlighted what interests me:
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I had settled on this area (hill and the Private Union University proximity) , and even tweeted about it at the time both here and here, after reading this first-hand account of their ‘previous’ executions. Remember, I posted the above location way back on 20 September. The location is right on the edge of the desert at co-ordinates 35.892839, 39.006416, just south of al-Raqaa, Syria and those uniformly arranged ‘blobs’ are trees, likely Olive trees. Also note the elevations.
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Now go to the beginning of the ISIS new video (above), specifically around the 0.08 second mark. What you are seeing there, and I’ve highlighted it for you, (click to enlarge) are Olive trees, uniformly arranged Olive trees.
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Here’s a screenshot anyway:
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The rows of trees are even clearer around the 30 second mark. Also note the elevation. Here’s another screenshot:
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Probably just a coincidence. Right?
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NOTE: These are just my own observations and as such could be completely off target. I have not intended to be disrespectful to any victims or families of this disgusting and tragic event.
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 “Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.” ~ Eric Hoffer
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Peace.
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