Debunking the MH17 debunkers
02.06.2015 um 00:01Debunking the MH17 debunkers
Author: Тима (ntv)
Source: http://ntv.livejournal.com/398128.html
Translation: Ukrop
I love all sorts of revelations, because it's fun and always like stories about Sherlock Holmes. Well, in the best case. However, in recent years, such disclosures have become an instrument of propaganda and planting hatred, so the context of such studies, of course, is unpleasant. (on the other hand, when they were not such tools?)
The British research group Bellingcat released a report, whose main objective was the refutation of the authenticity of the photos, published by the Defense Ministry at a briefing about crash of flight MH17.
I downloaded this report almost immediately after the publication and did not bother to read from cover to cover and now will present to the public "investigation of the investigation", if you want)))
The report is published simultaneously in English and Russian languages. We, for convenience, let us examine the Russian version. Naturally, the content of both versions is identical.
With the first letters of the report, Bellingcat claims that the photo published by the Ministry of Defence was faked with photoshop and later tries to prove this simple theory. For unknown reasons, the group analyses only two images of six. Such selectivity, of course, looks weird but will leave it on conscience of authors.
The analysis itself is based on three sections of information:
1. Meta-data files.
2. ELA-analysis. Analysis of the level of JPEG coding errors. Theoretically, this analysis allows detecting modified areas on the photos, because the noise level of compression differ from the General noise level of compression in the photo.
3. Verification of dates of pictures on circumstantial evidence
Everything looks very solid, especially for the unprepared person. Just as soon as the team meets a lucky find – the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation have used Adobe Photoshop CS. Much much farther deny it after this :)
The next step is ELA analysis. The group notes photo on the field with different levels of loss of compression and makes the conclusion that the photo was faked. As a software tool for this operation, it uses the website http://fotoforensics.com. The picture shows 4, for example, selected 5 such zones.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
To substantiate their arguments, the authors present the analysis of an image from Google, which also highlights the difference between the areas of the photo with clouds and without, but according to the authors, it is not so significant. It follows from this conclusion that the right cloud at the pictures of the Ministry of Defence was also photoshoped.
The authors then find a spot near one of the vehicles and reported the following: the spot is a pool of oil, which is derived from the vehicle. From the increase in spots size the authors judged on the chronology of photos.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
Without going into details, i just want to say that the chronology of oil as the chronology of further analysis – all of it claims and literally screams that the photos provided by Ministry of Defense were faked and photoshopped. With the other picture, the group performs the same manipulations and conclusions are equally alarming is all fraud and a fake.
Further parsed version of one of the pictures posted in a higher resolution, but it is missing any metadata. No doubt, in the opinion of the authors of the report, it looks incredibly suspicious.
The conclusions are predictable.
Here I already suffer difficulties to contain my sarcasm, so let's start dissection. First, let's deal with the prosecution to use photoshop. The argument is just incredible - there is a photoshop in the meta-data = means the picture was edited.
MUAHAHAHA
100% of the photos in this blog have Photoshop in their metadata because its used to resize pictures. Obviously, it was used in the defense Ministry with the same objectives. I went ahead and took a random photo from the website of Bellingcat. Loaded it in a service that is used by the authors of the report and what do you think? THEY ALSO EDITED IT IN PHOTOSHOP!! what a cheater!
We now turn to the verification tool. The authors argue that using ELA-analysis can reliably determine whether it has changed the photo or not. To do this, as I said, they used the website http://fotoforensics.com. I decided to test this method and used this website to check one funny pictures which I recently found on the Internet. Left her, and the right analysis of the loss of compression.
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)
Hmm. Indeed, the inscription stands out and the bouquet looks suspicious, and the rest is unclear. Realy not a fake?! A very diverse picture emerged, is the analysis not working? The authors argue that if the image has not been edited, it must be uniformly dark. Found similar photo which seems to be really the authentic picture. Loaded it in service.
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)
If you see the differences in between the two right photos in the area of the bride and groom, it's very cool, but I, for me, do not notice them. It seems that the accuracy of the method is very questionable. But the algorithm should be the same, so just in case I find another website which generates a map of the loss of compression on the basis of photographs. Expect that will finally get the evidence, but ...
Even another service shows that the two men in the first photo – are real. In other words, to draw conclusions about the authenticity of photos of the defense Ministry on the basis of this method and given in the report pictures – is simply not acceptable. But, the authors of this report are not confused and we later find out why. And now let's move on to the third part.
The authors deftly prove the fraud, finding that from one of the cars was leaking oil. The oil flows slowly but surely, so the puddle increases with time and allows to draw conclusions about the chronology of photos. I will not even speak abou the psychic peculiarities of researchers that determined the composition of the liquid through the Internet, and instead I will pay attention to more explicit technical detail.
Surprisingly, the authors of the report didn't notice it or maybe purposely did not pay attention. They write about a piece of equipment located on the photo horizontally, but did not specify what kind of vehicle that is. They do not pay attention to the fact that the fourth picture shows that tha vehicle was started, moved and changed its position, although all the oil was outside?
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
So here, my friends. The photo shows the truck, most likely tilt. British experts, probably, far from technology, time could not immediately identify it. But its contours are clearly visible, the body is wider and higher, gives a larger shadow than cabin. Even the light hood is visible, it looks like some ZIL-130.
At this stage, a bold conjecture about the oil flowing from the car coming down like a house of cards, because the engine in Soviet trucks is in front and not behind. If it is leaking oil – it would be near the front wheels, but not near the rear!
A much more realistic guess is if the stain is usual rain puddle. But, this puddle is not embedded in a coherent narrative inquiry, as puddles can occur after even a mild rain and then disappear, and of course say nothing about the time of the snapshot.
Finally, most of the allegations in the report do not stand the test method "So what?". This is a very effective thing, just put at the beginning check the thesis and finish his question "so what?". For example:
1. MO drew a cloud over the deployment of Ukrainian troops to what? It is obvious that there is no sense in this. Or take the situation with the dates of the pictures.
2. The defense Ministry used to montage the old satellite images, so what? Even non-military person understands that over the territory of the conflict constantly hanging a whole bunch of flies reconnaissance satellites from different countries and time it took to photoshop, you could easily take actual pictures. Such inconsistencies are many and they are, let's call a spade a spade, ruin the whole investigation.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
Now I'll just list titles in a row last entries on their website.
MH17 – Forensic Analysis of Satellite Images Released by the Russian Ministry of Defence
The Avalanche that Went from Russia to Ukraine
BMP-2 “Avalanche”, from the Old Village (RF) to Uglegorsk.
Russian Official Account of Attack on Ukraine Border Guards
Who's Lying? An In-depth Analysis of the Luhansk Buk Video
Confirmed: Active Russian Spetsnaz Serviceman Photographed in Luhansk
Ramadi Haze
Three Graves: Russian Investigation Team Uncovers Spetsnaz Brigade in Ukraine
Islamic State Captures Tadmur (Palmyra) in New Sudden Streak of Offensives
Air Rescue in Ramadi: Geolocating Made Easy with Head-Up Display
Robert Parry Falsely Accuses 60 Minutes Australia of Using Fake MH17 Evidence
Next Phase in Bellingcat'Ukraine s Vehicle Tracking Project
We don't need to know English to understand what that topic of Ukraine is seriously concerned with British activists. Maybe the events in Odessa are also of interest there?
No, no investigations. It is not good. As one-sided it turns out, isn't it? Let's have a little look through. Stuff about a new North Korean missile
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
Indian aircraft carrier
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)
Now IRAN is again up to something
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)
Material about chemical attacks in Syria
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)
What is that the Chinese are building in the South Sea?
Original anzeigen (0,4 MB)
No comment, but one I will give. This is one of the first comments in the report from which I started to write this post.
'm done. We live in not quite easiest times, there is a real information war. There is no bad or good, it has a side A and side B. Rules, there are no concepts of honor and morality in it either, so don't hang your ears out and believe in everything, even if you really want it to be true. Keep calm, do not become a tool in the hands of others and do not let yourself to be used.
Protect yourself from unverified information!
Author: Тима (ntv)
Source: http://ntv.livejournal.com/398128.html
Translation: Ukrop
I love all sorts of revelations, because it's fun and always like stories about Sherlock Holmes. Well, in the best case. However, in recent years, such disclosures have become an instrument of propaganda and planting hatred, so the context of such studies, of course, is unpleasant. (on the other hand, when they were not such tools?)
The British research group Bellingcat released a report, whose main objective was the refutation of the authenticity of the photos, published by the Defense Ministry at a briefing about crash of flight MH17.
I downloaded this report almost immediately after the publication and did not bother to read from cover to cover and now will present to the public "investigation of the investigation", if you want)))
The report is published simultaneously in English and Russian languages. We, for convenience, let us examine the Russian version. Naturally, the content of both versions is identical.
With the first letters of the report, Bellingcat claims that the photo published by the Ministry of Defence was faked with photoshop and later tries to prove this simple theory. For unknown reasons, the group analyses only two images of six. Such selectivity, of course, looks weird but will leave it on conscience of authors.
The analysis itself is based on three sections of information:
1. Meta-data files.
2. ELA-analysis. Analysis of the level of JPEG coding errors. Theoretically, this analysis allows detecting modified areas on the photos, because the noise level of compression differ from the General noise level of compression in the photo.
3. Verification of dates of pictures on circumstantial evidence
Everything looks very solid, especially for the unprepared person. Just as soon as the team meets a lucky find – the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation have used Adobe Photoshop CS. Much much farther deny it after this :)
The next step is ELA analysis. The group notes photo on the field with different levels of loss of compression and makes the conclusion that the photo was faked. As a software tool for this operation, it uses the website http://fotoforensics.com. The picture shows 4, for example, selected 5 such zones.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)To substantiate their arguments, the authors present the analysis of an image from Google, which also highlights the difference between the areas of the photo with clouds and without, but according to the authors, it is not so significant. It follows from this conclusion that the right cloud at the pictures of the Ministry of Defence was also photoshoped.
The authors then find a spot near one of the vehicles and reported the following: the spot is a pool of oil, which is derived from the vehicle. From the increase in spots size the authors judged on the chronology of photos.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)Without going into details, i just want to say that the chronology of oil as the chronology of further analysis – all of it claims and literally screams that the photos provided by Ministry of Defense were faked and photoshopped. With the other picture, the group performs the same manipulations and conclusions are equally alarming is all fraud and a fake.
Further parsed version of one of the pictures posted in a higher resolution, but it is missing any metadata. No doubt, in the opinion of the authors of the report, it looks incredibly suspicious.
The conclusions are predictable.
Here I already suffer difficulties to contain my sarcasm, so let's start dissection. First, let's deal with the prosecution to use photoshop. The argument is just incredible - there is a photoshop in the meta-data = means the picture was edited.
MUAHAHAHA
100% of the photos in this blog have Photoshop in their metadata because its used to resize pictures. Obviously, it was used in the defense Ministry with the same objectives. I went ahead and took a random photo from the website of Bellingcat. Loaded it in a service that is used by the authors of the report and what do you think? THEY ALSO EDITED IT IN PHOTOSHOP!! what a cheater!
We now turn to the verification tool. The authors argue that using ELA-analysis can reliably determine whether it has changed the photo or not. To do this, as I said, they used the website http://fotoforensics.com. I decided to test this method and used this website to check one funny pictures which I recently found on the Internet. Left her, and the right analysis of the loss of compression.
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)Hmm. Indeed, the inscription stands out and the bouquet looks suspicious, and the rest is unclear. Realy not a fake?! A very diverse picture emerged, is the analysis not working? The authors argue that if the image has not been edited, it must be uniformly dark. Found similar photo which seems to be really the authentic picture. Loaded it in service.
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)If you see the differences in between the two right photos in the area of the bride and groom, it's very cool, but I, for me, do not notice them. It seems that the accuracy of the method is very questionable. But the algorithm should be the same, so just in case I find another website which generates a map of the loss of compression on the basis of photographs. Expect that will finally get the evidence, but ...
Even another service shows that the two men in the first photo – are real. In other words, to draw conclusions about the authenticity of photos of the defense Ministry on the basis of this method and given in the report pictures – is simply not acceptable. But, the authors of this report are not confused and we later find out why. And now let's move on to the third part.
The authors deftly prove the fraud, finding that from one of the cars was leaking oil. The oil flows slowly but surely, so the puddle increases with time and allows to draw conclusions about the chronology of photos. I will not even speak abou the psychic peculiarities of researchers that determined the composition of the liquid through the Internet, and instead I will pay attention to more explicit technical detail.
Surprisingly, the authors of the report didn't notice it or maybe purposely did not pay attention. They write about a piece of equipment located on the photo horizontally, but did not specify what kind of vehicle that is. They do not pay attention to the fact that the fourth picture shows that tha vehicle was started, moved and changed its position, although all the oil was outside?
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)So here, my friends. The photo shows the truck, most likely tilt. British experts, probably, far from technology, time could not immediately identify it. But its contours are clearly visible, the body is wider and higher, gives a larger shadow than cabin. Even the light hood is visible, it looks like some ZIL-130.
At this stage, a bold conjecture about the oil flowing from the car coming down like a house of cards, because the engine in Soviet trucks is in front and not behind. If it is leaking oil – it would be near the front wheels, but not near the rear!
A much more realistic guess is if the stain is usual rain puddle. But, this puddle is not embedded in a coherent narrative inquiry, as puddles can occur after even a mild rain and then disappear, and of course say nothing about the time of the snapshot.
Finally, most of the allegations in the report do not stand the test method "So what?". This is a very effective thing, just put at the beginning check the thesis and finish his question "so what?". For example:
1. MO drew a cloud over the deployment of Ukrainian troops to what? It is obvious that there is no sense in this. Or take the situation with the dates of the pictures.
2. The defense Ministry used to montage the old satellite images, so what? Even non-military person understands that over the territory of the conflict constantly hanging a whole bunch of flies reconnaissance satellites from different countries and time it took to photoshop, you could easily take actual pictures. Such inconsistencies are many and they are, let's call a spade a spade, ruin the whole investigation.
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)Now I'll just list titles in a row last entries on their website.
MH17 – Forensic Analysis of Satellite Images Released by the Russian Ministry of Defence
The Avalanche that Went from Russia to Ukraine
BMP-2 “Avalanche”, from the Old Village (RF) to Uglegorsk.
Russian Official Account of Attack on Ukraine Border Guards
Who's Lying? An In-depth Analysis of the Luhansk Buk Video
Confirmed: Active Russian Spetsnaz Serviceman Photographed in Luhansk
Ramadi Haze
Three Graves: Russian Investigation Team Uncovers Spetsnaz Brigade in Ukraine
Islamic State Captures Tadmur (Palmyra) in New Sudden Streak of Offensives
Air Rescue in Ramadi: Geolocating Made Easy with Head-Up Display
Robert Parry Falsely Accuses 60 Minutes Australia of Using Fake MH17 Evidence
Next Phase in Bellingcat'Ukraine s Vehicle Tracking Project
We don't need to know English to understand what that topic of Ukraine is seriously concerned with British activists. Maybe the events in Odessa are also of interest there?
No, no investigations. It is not good. As one-sided it turns out, isn't it? Let's have a little look through. Stuff about a new North Korean missile
Original anzeigen (0,2 MB)Indian aircraft carrier
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)Now IRAN is again up to something
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)Material about chemical attacks in Syria
Original anzeigen (0,5 MB)What is that the Chinese are building in the South Sea?
Original anzeigen (0,4 MB)No comment, but one I will give. This is one of the first comments in the report from which I started to write this post.
'm done. We live in not quite easiest times, there is a real information war. There is no bad or good, it has a side A and side B. Rules, there are no concepts of honor and morality in it either, so don't hang your ears out and believe in everything, even if you really want it to be true. Keep calm, do not become a tool in the hands of others and do not let yourself to be used.
Protect yourself from unverified information!