This is weird: photos of kidnapped fbi agent robert levinson

[HiPointDem]

Last edited Sat Jan 12, 2013, 05:33 AM - Edit history (1)

Nearly six years after the disappearance in Iran of private investigator Robert Levinson, and two years after his family received an anonymous email confirming that the former FBI agent was still alive, five photographs taken by Levinson's captors have been released. "I am here in Guantanamo," reads a sign Levinson is holding in one photo. "Do you know where it is?"

According to U.S. investigators who spoke with crackerjack AP reporters Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman, yes they do: Levinson is probably in an Iranian secret prison.

http://gawker.com/5974225/these-shocking-guantanamo-photos-of-kidnapped-fbi-agent-robert-levinson-were-probably-taken-in-an-iranian-secret-prison

But one reader notes:

Something seems strange here - why do these images match almost 100% to the "computerized" image seen here from an article in March that claims to be only a "depiction" of what he'd look like today?

The hairstyle matches too perfectly for one to be a rendering based on a 5+year old photo, and the other to be an actual recent photo. Not a hair out of place on his head or beard?

http://gawker.com/5974225/these-shocking-guantanamo-photos-of-kidnapped-fbi-agent-robert-levinson-were-probably-taken-in-an-iranian-secret-prison

Here's the picture from March (far right), supposedly a computer-generated picture of what he 'might' look like after the time elapsed from his disappearance. left is picture from before capture, middle is from 2011 during captivity.




another weird thing is that fat levinson looks almost exactly like one of my old bosses.

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. Yeah, the cowlick at the left part in his hair in the progressed image and the real one seems fishy.

Also the curl in his hair on the left side in both. Maybe the feds have some killer hair predictive algorithms?

[Confusious]

2. Or maybe they had more then one picture to go on?

Maybe the family provided them with pictures so they could make a composite?

Maybe Humans grow in predictable ways so we can make age progression photos so we can put them on the backs of milk cartons?

[Confusious]

3. or maybe

The family provided them with pictures so they could make a composite?

Maybe Humans grow in predictable ways so we can make age progression photos so we can put them on the backs of milk cartons?

Maybe the feds have been working on this stuff for years, and you didn't notice?

Maybe people older then 24 don't change much in 5 years, barring disease, so it's easier to do age progression?

Hair grows in predictable ways?

I know all these things are hard to conceive, but just have an open mind.

[RandiFan1290]

4. Hurry!! We must invade Iran!!

[magellan]

5. That's amazing. Not only isn't there a hair or whisker out of place

...compared to the FBI's "computerized age enhanced" depiction done last year, but the new "real" photos of Levinson in the orange jumpsuit even show the mark under his right brow from the computerized image. That image comes from the FBI website:

http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/robert-a-levinson

Somebody's playing a game.

[napoleon_in_rags]

6. That's what I think. There are various theories you could put forth for the fishiness.

1) Iran wants to sow distrust, makes CGI pics or actually Vidal Sassoon + makeups the guy to look like the pics.
2) Somebody in government wants to do something weird to get Iranian response on it. Maybe hoping for a "that's not him, THIS is him" response, because they don't know his status.
3) etc.

We can only really speculate about this one.

[HiPointDem]

7. agree. all we can do is speculate. about why the media put this out to the public without noting

the similarity, ditto.

[napoleon_in_rags]

8. Do you think the media should have?

I wouldn't have even noticed it unless it was pointed out to me, so I can imagine reporters not noticing it either. But if they had, is the public interest there? I mean if its a fake, what is the motive for producing it? Would could that be about? I'm running through various scenarios in my head and I'm not seeing the value of a fake photo of an Iranian prisoner.

[HiPointDem]

9. Old-style journalism used to do a bit of research -- easier with the internet, but today they

don't seem to bother.

Since i have no idea what it means, i have no idea what the media should have done -- but it says something about the media when commenters on blogs are better informed than they are.

[napoleon_in_rags]

10. Yeah, it may just be that...

Or maybe more complicated. The article states Iran has been involved in "a ruse by Iranian counterintelligence to learn how U.S. intelligence agencies work."

Could be that mainstream journalists know its BS, but are pretending to go along at request of some higher up with govt. connections. Again, who knows. I've been turning this over in my mind, and now I give up.

PEace!

[HiPointDem]

11. could be. one thing for sure, we ants have no clue what our betters are doing.

[magellan]

14. What gets me is the new images are color accurate

...while the the FBI age enhanced image looks rough and heavily blue tinted. If someone color corrected it to use in the recent photos, it's a fab job.

But let me put on my tinfoil hat and here's what I think happened. I think the "new" photos are the originals and one was used to produce the "age enhanced" photo. Then they released the "age enhanced" photo in Mar '12, and these were held back till recently.

Following that reasoning there's only one conclusion...and yes, I'm insinuating the FBI is involved in it.

[napoleon_in_rags]

17. Yeah, similar ideas crossed my mind too.

Possible scenario: US intel intercepts mail from Iran, facial recognition pins the photos to the guy with 90% probability. They release the reduced original as "age enhanced" version. The idea would be to ignore it, hoping for more responses from the kidnappers. Draw them out as much as possible, get as much info as they can.

[magellan]

18. Could be

I'm too much of a cynic where our government and Iran is concerned to have thought about it that way. But I still think there's something off about the recent release of photos. That jumpsuit looks weird, almost like it was shopped, and the chains are definitely staged.

I also wonder how Levinson's hair went from nearly white to dark gray.

Eh, the whole things stinks to high heaven. I feel bad for his family.

[napoleon_in_rags]

19. " I feel bad for his family."

An for the poor guy himself, that's something we can all agree on.

[magellan]

21. Indeed. n/t

[UnrepentantLiberal]

12. Here's the image if you want to use it in your OP:

And yes, this is an odd story.

[HiPointDem]

13. thanks!

[Comrade_McKenzie]

15. Conspiracy theories are for right wingers. nt

[HiPointDem]

20. the official explanation for 911 is a conspiracy theory. organized crime is a conspiracy theory.

the american revolution is a conspiracy theory.

your talking point is the bunk

it's a really really stupid meme.

[Jesus Malverde]

22. bump for weirdness...

I didn't know this. I am not sure why the media is reporting the Guantanamo pictures as real or why the family would play along...