A small point about the torture photos that weren't released

[FredStembottom]

Ok. The torture photos due to be released on July 22nd...weren't. They are being held back.

My question: is that possible in this day and age?

I believe the original, infamous Abu Graib photos were all digital photos stored on laptops. The withheld photos must also be digital and the videos may be digital as well.

Isn't it virtually impossible to withhold digital pictures that have been passed through various networks, laptops and computers?

Even the withheld "worst" photos were transmitted enough to be viewed by Senators (and other unspecified people) - so aren't there hard discs full of these pictures in a number of places now? Maybe a lot of places?

This isn't a rhetorical question - I'm just curious why these pictures and videos haven't "leaked" from any number of places. Can someone a lot more technically hip than me explain how digital photos - once downloaded from the original camera and passed a few times - could actually be withheld?

I have no computer knowledge or training and am confused.

Thanks:think:

On edit: spelling

[MelissaB]

1. I don't know, but I'll kick to help you get an answer.

I'd like to know, too.

[tblue37]

2. Except for Joseph Darby, who originally gave them to his commander,

the people who have digital copies of the photos and videotapes are probably people who would not want them to be made public because they would themselves be likely to be prosecuted.

Darby himself was not in any way involved in the torture of prisoners, and he was so sickened by the pictures that he turned them over to his commander. But my guess is that others either were involved or have friends who were invovled, so they don't want to share them and get in trouble themselves or get their friends in trouble.

[napi21]

3. I don't know wforusure, but I think they were taken with a digital

camera, or at least a regular camera, and the video was a camera as well.

THe DID talked about going through the video, frame by frame.

Were they loaded onto a laptop? I don't know!

I would think, if they had been, someone would be posting them on the net by now.

[truth2power]

4. I've asked basically the same question here.

It's not like years ago where you got your film developed and you were in possession of both the negatives and prints.

It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop. I figure those pictures are out there somewhere. Wondering why someone hasn't done the deed and dropped them into the public domain.

Maybe this just shows my ignorance, but I sure would like an answer from someone who knows about these things.

edit to add> C'mon, whoever's got 'em - pony up! Launder them through a few hands to muddy up the trail if you have to. :eyes:

[FredStembottom]

5. That is the distinction I am wondering about

Whether copies do exist just as a matter of course - and folks are afraid to leak copies of officially "withheld" photos

-or-

The orignals were encoded with some kinda maximum-strength encryption (which I never have understood how THAT works, anyways).

edit: clarity

[truth2power]

6. Note my edit.

Do what the government does. Layers upon layers, so it's impossible to find the source.

[ConfuZed]

7. Where is stuff like this stored?

On a base or in a bank?

[FredStembottom]

8. As I understand it

It's stored on the hard disc of any computer that is used to display the pictures - at least temporarily.

I don't know if that's true of any network servers - I really AM quite computer dumb (but ask me about old tube radios and I can do pretty good:party:)

[unhappycamper]

13. Clearing up the digital / are the pictures on your computer questions:

Any graphics (picture) you see on your computer screen has been downloaded to your PC prior to viewing. On a windoze machine, they are usually kept in a hidden directory managed by the caching program. Different web browsers use different directories to store these files. The bottom line: if you see it on the screen, it's on your computer. There are many ways to 'clear the cache' aka get rid of that stuff.

Regarding the question are the pics and movies digital: the short answer is yes, with a 99% probability. There are two ways to get a picture onto a CD:
1) take the picture with a digital camera, or
2) take a picture with a film camera, develop the negatives, print the picture, and then scan the picture to a digital format.

Since digital technology is cheap and ubiquitous, I'm betting all these incriminating pics and movies were taken with digital cameras.

[FredStembottom]

14. Thanks,Camper - would the be true

of network servers, too?

[unhappycamper]

15. Here's a typical computer answer: it depends.

Routers and other networking components usually keep high traffic files (like pics) in cache. (Files that get a TON of access are usually stored in memory.) When the cache cleanup program runs, it deletes files that are no longer being accessed on a frequent basis.

Hope that helps a bit.

[truth2power]

9. Kick. I guess nobody knows.

[FredStembottom]

10. My threads tend to fizzle right out.

:eyes:

Not sure why

[truth2power]

12. It's kinda late (or early)

Maybe someone in the morning gang would know.

[cry baby]

11. That's a real good question...

I hope someone can enlighten us here.

Welcome to DU!:hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. It is possible that a leak would not be helpful. You know how RWers

won't believe anything unless the gov't tells them it is true. Leaks would just be dismissed as photoshops to smear 'Murika.