Not really, but it sure is a hilarious mishap (at least I think so). Australian News (news.com.au) yesterday reported that “Al-Qaeda urges use of WMD”. The story was sourced from Reuters, AFP on the news site. Apparently the image was posted on an Islamic extremists’ Web site but no one in the mainstream press has actually figured out that it’s concept art from the upcoming video game Fallout 3.
Straight from the horses ass mouth on news.com.au :
The FBI warning came as the US-based monitoring group SITE said the video encouraging terrorists to develop and detonate weapons of mass destruction in the US and Europe was posted on an Islamist militant forum.
SITE also released a computer-generated image, showing Washington DC in the aftermath of a nuclear attack, which reportedly appeared on an Islamist forum.
The 39-minute, documentary-style video, titled Nuclear Jihad: The Ultimate Terror, was posted on the al-Ekhlaas forum on May 25, SITE said in a statement.
“The idea of killing lots of people, this idea is available to us, and it must be used under the idea of treating others the same, so I say that terror in their countries must involve human losses and these human losses must be with WMDs,” the video says, according to SITE’s translation.
The rest of the story can be found here news.com.au.
Here is the actual image with the obvious Bethesda Softworks copyright in the corner.
I can’t help but feel sorry for the people reporting on terrorism. Everyone is so paranoid and can’t see the bigger picture. I find this whole instance hilarious because everyone seems to have tunnel vision when then words “Al-Qaeda” or “Terrorism” are used. In my humble opinion this “war” has gotten out of hand and you simply can’t fight an idea that is implanted into the minds of individuals from birth (take religion for example). Everyone is trying to get the “juiciest” news they can get their grubby hands on, but in doing so they unintentionally stir a hornets nets that could be potential fatal without meaning to do so. Let this stand as an example of the idiocy behind quite possibly the majority of world news you may read in this day and age. It just makes you wonder, how much of this “war” could be a farce?
… and honestly could you believe that Al-Qaeda could produce a movie quality computer-generated image when they are still filming grainy HI-8/VHS threat videos? I think not.
May 30th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Ah. Paranoia. I am sick of it. I have had it up to here with people and their paranoia. I see about 5 to 10 reports a day of people calling the LAPD’s S.A.R. (Suspicious Activities Report) Hot line saying crap like “my Arab neighbors are outside talking and it is past midnight” or “there is this dark skinned man taking pictures in a park.” Seriously. It is f#cking ridiculous.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:10 am
Is destroying washington really such a bad idea anyways?
June 1st, 2008 at 10:14 am
One word - Ignorance
July 27th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
That is some beastly photoshopping. Seriously, how do you even begin to make something with such detail. Thats what I want to know.