snapped shot

now in ap-approved text mode

 
What happened to the pictures? Exhibit A, Exhibit B
Will they ever come back? Yes and no

A sudden lack of context

Brian C. Ledbetter · Friday, August 18. 2006 11:19
This post is no longer being updated. Please refer to The latest on the Funny Money Scandal for, well, the latest updates.

Now that Hezbullah has suddenly morphed into a philanthropic organization, we learn from this photograph that they are distributing approximately US$12,000 to the needy in areas destroyed by Israel. Of course, what is our intrepid photographer obviously not curious enough to know? Well, that Hezbullah has already been dinged for counterfeiting U.S. currency:

One of the most prominent and influential members of the Hizballah terrorist organization, along with two of his companies, was designated by the Treasury Department today under Executive Order 13224. Assad Ahmad Barakat has close ties with Hizballah leadership and has worked closely with numerous Islamic extremists and suspected Hizballah associates in South America's tri-border area (TBA), made up of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. . . .

Barakat has also been involved in a counterfeiting ring that distributes fake U.S. dollars and generates cash to fund Hizballah operations. As of early 2001, Barakat was one of two individuals reportedly in charge of distribution and sale of the counterfeit currency in the TBA.

Once again, it's left to the Blogosphere to ask the questions the media isn't interested in asking.

UPDATE 11:59 EST: I'm collecting all of the images connected with this story in this article. Click the Read More link below for a fun look at the world's newest charity.

UPDATE 13:30 EST: The hilarity continues. Apparently, we've been blessed to have the Hezbullah Engineering Company on-site, ready to fix all of those Zionist craters. Praise be to Allah, the Zionists will surely not stand up to the dreaded Hezbullah engineer! (As usual, check out the extended article for pictures)

UPDATE 19-AUG-2006 10:56 EST: Added wire photos from 19-Aug.

UPDATE 11:41 EST: It would appear that MechEng from Newsbusters has caught something in one of the photographs posted: The $100 bills shown here ought to have a security thread running roughly near the U.S. Treasury seal on the obverse (front) of the bill, yet in a silhouetted photograph of one of the bills being counted, we do not see this thread. While we can't be 100% certain, it is definitely increasingly likely that these bills are fake, and as a result, the press is possibly aiding and abetting the distribution of counterfeit currency.

UPDATE 21:10 EST: Wow! I've gotten an unprecedented reaction to this story! Thanks to everyone who's written! I want to take a moment to highlight some of the most poignant observations made by you, here:

Jim Hunter 2006-08-19 19:31

In photographs #17 and #18 the seal is in a different position relative to the numbers 1 0 0.

Wessoman 2006-08-19 15:10

I don't know about you guys, but I'm holding a new hundred right now. The US treasury has never made the new design 100 dollar bill without the strip. Considering the light passing through the bill in that photo, you would readily be able to see the strip. Those bills are about as real as Monopoly money and those victims (real or not) are either being duped or going along with one.

Wino 2006-08-19 16:47

Can I ask and answer some questions?
Who deals in American currency in Lebanon? Ans: No one
What is anyone going to buy with the money? Ans: Nothing
Why are they handing out the bills? Ans: Fauxto Op
Why is the press so willingly following along with this? Ans: They are cheering for the Hesbians.

tompain 2006-08-19 18:29

The photo by Hussein Malla (caption: "A Lebanese resident of a Beirut suburb ...") that might also indicate a missing security thread seems to me to reveal a more obvious flaw. The image of the federal reserve seal showing through the bill seems offset to the right. The outer circle of the seal should intersect with the branches of the tree in the rightmost part of the image of Independence Hall. On this bill, they barely touch.

DocMartyn 2006-08-19 18:47

A personal opinion. I moved to the USA from the UK two years ago. As I do not trust banks to move money from one country to another, I took just unser $7,000 dollars in cash.
I ordered my US dollars in advance and took them to America with me. I handled a loot of $100 dollor bills. That is my level of expertese. O.K. my view. These are too flat. The paper in fresh US $100 bills is a little more "Fluffy", it is not hard and stiff like these people are holding. It has texture, it is not flat and smooth. It is more like cloth than paper. Secondly, it is a bit more static. Bills tend to stick togeather. It makes it hard to count as is easy to count two bills togeather. The bundle in picture 11 looks very wrong. The whole stack of bills looks flat, whereas I found that the bills form a concave shape, like there is surface tension, the middle of the pile is more attracted to its partners than the edges are, and so the edges are puffed up. Again, these bills are flat, almost like a block of wood with a bill stook on top.


My deepest regards and thanks to all of you who've contributed to this story!

UPDATE 20-AUG-2006 19:05 EST: Ali Bubba has pointed out that Bill Gertz wrote an article about the North Korean "superbill" in 2004. While it's possible that Hezbullah obtained notes from North Korea, it should be noted that Iran already has all of the equipment necessary to make their own.

Thomas and Marcie write via e-mail that, not only should a portion of the security strip be visible towards the top of the bill in Photo #9, but that in Photo #15, the green color is brighter than a bill would normally be at that angle. Furthermore, on the backs of the bills, the semi-circle appears too green.

UPDATE 21-AUG-2006 09:12 EST: It would appear that the World's Newest Charity has started in its quest to conquer the Salvation Army.

UPDATE 13:27 EST: Blogger TomPain has written the most astute synopsis of this story that I've found so far, illustrated with a $100 note from his personal treasure. Many thanks for the very detailed analysis, Tom!

Related stories: Allahpundit, LGF, Disturbingly Yellow, FreeAlabamastan, Euphoric Reality, Backspin, Say Anything, Edgar's Musings, The Western Seminarian, DogfightatBankstown



MechEng from NewsBusters has pointed out that there doesn't appear to be a security thread in this picture. I'm working on finding an official U.S. Treasury guide to where the security thread should be, but MechEng seems to indicate that it ought to go through the U.S. Treasury Seal on the obverse of the bill, and therefore, should be visible in the above picture—if that bill were real.

You've got a fantastic eye for detail, MechEng!

Update: I was able to find a description of the security description here:

The Security Thread A clear, inscribed polyester thread has been incorporated into the paper of genuine currency. The thread is embedded in the paper and runs vertically through the clear field to the left of the Federal Reserve Seal.


And here's a picture illustrating the location of the security thread (in the obverse):



Now, obviously, the thread would only flouresce if placed in a reader such as the one listed on the website above. However, we should still see it in the bill! If you look closely enough again at this picture, you'll definitely not see it. While it's possible that the thread is being covered by the counter's hand, it's also possible that the security thread is not there—making the bill an obvious forgery.
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NederKrant on 2006-08-19 14:53 #225

Hezdollar koopt steun bevolking.

Disturbingly Yellow on 2006-08-19 18:21 #246

Special Forces Save Lebanon

From the desk of President Émile Geamil Lahoud Dear countrymen, With free reign in parts of Lebanon, targeting our children, other interests continue to destroy the very fabric of Lebanese society. It is our children, our infrastructure, and decades o...
Alabama Liberation Front on 2006-08-20 02:43 #262

Cash-Bollah!

Sheik Nasrallah and the other generous philanthropists at Hezbollah (their motto: "Peace Through Genocide") are just shoveling out money like it grows on trees. ... Allah also mentions North Korea, which the U.S. accused last year of printing $100 "supernotes" -- high-quality counterfeits that are hard to detect:
Euphoric Reality on 2006-08-20 12:00 #273

Wordmasters Special Edition: Appeasement

The so-called “truce” in the Middle East is falling apart. Big surprise, eh? Fwance isn’t sending the twoops it pwomised. Hezbollah is rearming and buying off the people of Lebanon with $12K for their “hearts and minds.̶...
Say Anything on 2006-08-20 21:21 #280

Hezbollah's Counterfeit Generosity

As our host is prone to say... Hmmmm. This past week a considerable number of stories, complete with photos, have appeared in the MSM relating to Hezbollah indemnifying the Lebanese for the damage done to their property by the war...
Somewhere on A1A... on 2006-08-21 11:39 #284

How Long Will the UN Sponsored Hudna last?

Tehran is doing its best to rearm Hizbollah. In its own way Hizbollah creates its own dollars to distribute as aid. [BTW, where is the freaking MSM on this counterfeit story?] Meanwhile Israel rightfully says that UN Peacekeepers need to...
Michelle Malkin on 2006-08-21 15:36 #285

Cash-bollah!

The blogosphere sniffs out another Hezbollywood production--fake charity, fake money. Start at Snapped Shots, LGF, Allah, and ALF. I agree with the Boston Herald: Better no pictures than phony ones....
KP Cubed on 2006-08-22 16:56 #291

Hezzabollah and Iran Counterfeiting?

Ok. So I seem a little late on this this afternoon. So here's the basic scoop. Many people believe the money being used to rebuild Lebanon by Hezbollah is fake. I wouldn't put it past any of them. Here are the many links with pics ...
mgraves on 2006-08-23 21:14 #316

Counterfeit

I can't imagine it's difficult to be generous when one uses counterfeit money. It only makes sense: Iran is one of the leading counterfeiters of US currency. Why wouldn't they provide the funny money to Hezb'Allah?And Hezb'Allah gets the best of b
Disturbingly Yellow on 2006-08-30 01:49 #418

Lebanon Invades Lebanon, Daily Star Outsources

In a bold move, the Lebanese army continues to claim south Lebanon.[/sarcasm] Where would they get such a CRAZY idea? Take responsibility to stop attacks from their own land? Impossible.1 Lebanon’s Daily Star paper (the New York Times partner tha...

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Here is what a handful of random people think about this article. But first, the fine print:
The opinions expressed here, even where approved for display, do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this website, the management, or any other entity or organization, with the exception of the Vast Zionist Conspiracy. Those opinions we represent in style, yo. Please keep the language in these comments clean, as this is intended to be a family-friendly, work-friendly website. Comments not compliant with this policy will be edited for content where necessary. Abusive or otherwise illegal comments will be reported to the proper authorities, up to and including the aforementioned Vast Zionist Conspiracy. The Management cannot and will not be held responsible for commenters making a spectacle of themselves, even if The Management are the said commenters in question. In other words, don't take yourself so seriously, folks. We're all here to discuss the news, and more importantly, to have fun. Now go get yourself into some OCD treatment program—you obviously need it if you actually read all of this mess.

Kent on 2006-08-19 05:23 #1
*>A Lebanese resident of a Beirut suburb counts U.S. dollar bills that he received from Hezbollah as a compensation for losing his house<

Are not those $100 bills and by my calculation that poor man, who had his house destroyed over a whole month period, must have received the whole $12,000 allotment. The dollars, like the pictures, could not be of questionable status, could they?
Reply  
Brian on 2006-08-19 10:10 #1.1
*Well, you could suppose that they're legitimate, but when you add the obvious description of thousands of "crisp" bills, and combine it with the previous reports by Treasury that Hezbullah has become quite adept at counterfeiting U.S. currency, would it not be a leap to surmise that Hezbullah is handing out counterfeited currency?
Reply  
Jim Hunter on 2006-08-19 19:11 #1.1.1
*Is it possible there could still be inventories of pre-security strip US currency in the banks of Europe? Or is standard procedure to trade it in when changes are made?
Reply  
Mauser on 2006-08-19 19:44 #1.1.1.1
*A pre-thread $100 bill would have the small portrait of Franklin (similar to the $1 bill, the only one that hasn't been redesigned).

An easier way to detect the fakes is to look for where they replaced "God Bless" with "Death To". :-)
Reply  
Elaine on 2006-08-20 13:44 #1.1.2
*One can wonder, indeed, how the Hezbollah has laid its hands on so many brand new looking dollar bills...And how did they get to South Lebanon ? When there was supposed to be such shortage of petrol and bombed out roads and bridges ?
We were told of a million displaced persons. How many houses / apartments are supposed to have been destroyed ? So how much would that come to ?
And is there an allowance for the dead - over a 1,000 we have been told - and the wounded ?
That would mean huge sums of money and quite a volume too...
Odd indeed.
Especially as there have been demonstration in Iran by people who did not get their salaries or were unemployed...
Reply  
larwyn on 2006-08-19 12:39 #2
*It is my understanding that most of the major business in Lebanon is other than Shite/Hezballah controlled.

So long as the trading of these bills, if counterfeit, stays within the Hezballah community - all are in on the ruse. But as soon as they want appliances,electronics and some IKEA furniture the jig will be up.

It will be interesting to see how they try work this, if counterfeits. $100.00 bills aren't really useful for most daily purchases. Will the grocers and pharmacies be willing to give out all that change? If they don't have total control over the banks, this flood of bills should be exposed soonest.

Then expect lots of "Death to America" and CIA/Jew plot conspiracies to be rampant across the Islamic world.

I can see this as a beginning of cry to trade oil in EUROS vs US Dollars, which would be very bad for our treasury notes.

Hope you'll check that out also.
Reply  
Shifra on 2006-08-19 12:45 #3
*But if the US is the Great Satan why are they using US currency, why not Lebanese pounds?
Reply  
Old Bank Teller on 2006-08-19 13:00 #4
*A couple of those are stacks of about 100 bills. 100 $100 bills is $10,000. No way they had $12,000 total and were passing out stacks of $10,000 at a time. The captions don't match. The $ mounts are wrong or the photos are of the whole bankroll at that location.
Reply  
Jim Hunter on 2006-08-19 19:31 #4.1
*In photographs #17 and #18 the seal is in a different position relative to the numbers 1 0 0.
Reply  
ds on 2006-08-20 03:47 #4.1.1
*that's because in photo #18 the bill is actually moving -- blurred.

what's interesting to me is that the numbers on the bills do look different from bill to bill-- i.e.:

picture#18 -- the fourth character in the s/n looks very skinny--perhaps a "1" while in the ... uhh.. can't tell.

The way to tell is to contact the photographer and see if he has ANY other shots of the bills... checking, for example, if they all have the same s/n or having him do a CLOSE-UP ZOOM on his original of pic #9 - bei107.jpg
Reply  
Dr filak on 2006-08-19 13:07 #5
*all the dollars are real,therefore swallow a 6" nail coz we have everything
Reply  
Anonymous on 2006-08-19 13:38 #6
Hmmm. Now we need to start a rumour about how the Isreali's are using the US technology that allows us to track all American bills from satalite.
Reply  
saint on 2006-08-19 14:04 #7
*Nope by my reckoning the Gaillard photo third from the bottom ("A Lebanese woman watches her husband...") gives a clear view which would indicate these are fake - no red thread.
Reply  
lostlakehiker on 2006-08-19 15:38 #7.1
*If you look at a genuine $US100 bill you will find that the security thread shows up only if the bill is backlighted. There is no red thread visible when viewing the bill under ordinary light.

While the bills may well be counterfeit, you couldn't prove it by reference to the photos shown here.

Nothing prevents banks in Lebanon from accepting fake US bills and crediting the depositor with the amount of the bills. The bank balance itself then counts as money and can be used to pay for anything, anywhere. When another depositor asks for cash, the bank can simply hand out the fake bills. As long as they circulate only in their own setting, no one will dare check them or complain, and the counterfeiting operation is thus a success.
Reply  
tster on 2006-08-19 20:05 #7.1.1
*that still doesn't get the money out of the country. if that bank attempts to send that money to anywhere else and it is discovered that all the $100 bills in the bank are fake, money from that bank will (should) be relatively worthless to other people.
Reply  
RJ on 2006-08-19 19:55 #7.2
*The picture will not show a security thread because you will not see it. If you look carefully, the thread starts from between the R and I on top and ends on the right side of S on the bottom. In the picture if you look carefully on top you have just a tiny bit if this strategic space visible above the person's hand while at the bottom the whole area on the right side of S where the thread should be is covered by the hand. In another words the space where the thread should be is covered by the person's hand except a few micro meter of it at the top which cannot be dicerned. The bill COULD be legit. However, if they are crisp and loads of it are in their possesion it has to be fake. They may as well use Mac Donald's Happy Meal Coupons and pretend it is money.
Reply  
Quilly Mammoth on 2006-08-19 14:56 #8
*My thought when looking at the picture 9th from the top is that it doesn't show the "security thread". It should show there because the bill is held in the light where you can see through the bill. We hold them to the light to see the strip.

If these bills are pre-security enhancement era bills then why are they new looking? And where (as if I didn't know) would they get them?
Reply  
Wessoman on 2006-08-19 15:10 #9
*I don't know about you guys, but I'm holding a new hundred right now. The US treasury has never made the new design 100 dollar bill without the strip. Considering the light passing through the bill in that photo, you would readily be able to see the strip. Those bills are about as real as Monopoly money and those victims (real or not) are either being duped or going along with one.
Of course, you could always add strips in photoshop later....
Reply  
marc Rosen on 2006-08-19 15:31 #10
*In some of these pictures the serial number looks readable - I want to know what bank is holding accounts, where the $$$ ends up in terrorist hands

Maybe Treasury Dept could track them ?
Reply  
Buck Naked on 2006-08-19 15:46 #11
*Hi,
please look at these bills:

http://images.clarkcolor.com/3463695:9%7Ffp335%3Enu%3D3257%3E965%3E5:4%3EWSNRCG%3D323353%3B:7%3B737nu0mrj
or
http://www2.travlang.com/money/US100FR.JPG
or
http://staffweb.peoriaud.k12.az.us/Cindy_Callaway/Samsung%20UF-80%20Digital%20Presenter/100%20Dollar%20Bill%20front.jpg

and compare it to

http://www.snappedshot.com/uploads/IsraelLebanon2006/r2545632193.jpg
and
http://www.snappedshot.com/uploads/IsraelLebanon2006/r2860637882.jpg

Shouldn't the "100" at the bottom right of the bill be green?
Reply  
PM on 2006-08-19 16:06 #11.1
*green color can was destroyed in israel attack... and it was not possible to get stuff from Iran or syria and due to israeli assult...

what else can poor hezbulla do.. they made US$ without green color.... now this is real US$... all $'s in US with green color are fake
Reply  
McGurk on 2006-08-19 16:19 #11.2
*That "100" is in a funky ink that's muddy green with holographic flakes in it. It looks different depending on how you the light hits it. In the Lebanon photos, it's definitely not black but only a close inspection would show the color change or the flakes.

Now the missing security strip, on the other hand...
Reply  
Wino on 2006-08-19 16:47 #12
*Can I ask and answer some questions?

Who deals in American currency in Lebanon? Ans: No one

What is anyone going to buy with the money? Ans: Nothing

Why are they handing out the bills? Ans: Fauxto Op

Why is the press so willingly following along with this? Ans: They are cheering for the Hesbians.
Reply  
the_rage1 on 2006-08-23 13:23 #12.1
*US dollars are the currency of choice the world over.
Reply  
Mooch on 2006-08-19 17:06 #13
*Counterfeit or not is probably irrelevant (in re:Levant) to the US, but they are going to have a hell of an inflation rate.
Reply  
scott salit on 2006-08-19 17:24 #14
*Wow - They have to be FAKE if no Security Thread, also, I took a new design $100 and let enough backlight hit it so the seal shows up like in the picture, the security thread sticks out like a sore thumb, the camera might not be able to resolve writing on it, but the thread should show, the green on the "100" is less an issue, that process leaves a chamelion look which can register as black in a photograph depending upon lighting and angle, hard to duplicate though a government might have access to the inks. Looks like we might have to change currency again.

-S-
Reply  
johnny eck on 2006-08-19 17:34 #15
*As soon as I saw these shots, my thought was: does Lebanon have any casinos?
Reply  
aemme on 2006-08-19 17:39 #16
*May be the woman looking at her husband
the same woman mourning destruction of her home twice?

Sorry for my bad english.
Reply  
howard_coward on 2006-08-19 17:54 #17
*I'll take them.
Reply  
tompain on 2006-08-19 18:29 #18
*The photo by Hussein Malla (caption: "A Lebanese resident of a Beirut suburb ...") that might also indicate a missing security thread seems to me to reveal a more obvious flaw. The image of the federal reserve seal showing through the bill seems offset to the right. The outer circle of the seal should intersect with the branches of the tree in the rightmost part of the image of Independence Hall. On this bill, they barely touch.
Reply  
Lee on 2006-08-23 02:07 #18.1
*The seal on the opposite side shows through but the thread is not showing... (*the bills in #9 picture are absolutely FAKE!*)

Lee
Reply  
DocMartyn on 2006-08-19 18:47 #19
*A personal opinion. I moved to the USA from the UK two years ago. As I do not trust banks to move money from one country to another, I took just unser $7,000 dollars in cash.
I ordered my US dollars in advance and took them to America with me. I handled a loot of $100 dollor bills. That is my level of expertese.
O.K. my view. These are too flat. The paper in fresh US $100 bills is a little more "Fluffy", it is not hard and stiff like these people are holding. It has texture, it is not flat and smooth. It is more like cloth than paper.
Secondly, it is a bit more static. Bills tend to stick togeather. It makes it hard to count as is easy to count two bills togeather.
The bundle in picture 11 looks very wrong. The whole stack of bills looks flat, whereas I found that the bills form a concave shape, like there is surface tension, the middle of the pile is more attracted to its partners than the edges are, and so the edges are puffed up. Again, these bills are flat, almost like a block of wood with a bill stook on top.
Reply  
Nora Charles on 2006-08-19 19:47 #20
*Nick and I are former journalists and are expert in 'reading' photographs.

We have a couple of observations.

1. The notes are too crisp.

2. Some of those shown receiving cash appear to be given wads of bills of about $2000 each (check the density of the stack). So how many people did Hezbollah actually help with their bounty? Six?

And, of course the observation about the security strip and the most likely conclusion that the notes are counterfeit is also well taken.

Just a final OT observation - why is the US still using paper notes for crying out loud?

Australia developed and has successfully usedplastic polymer notes it for the past 15 years.

The texture, inbuilt clear panels and holograms make it extremely difficult to counterfeit.

<b>-- Nora Charles</b>
Reply  
rj on 2006-08-19 20:14 #21
*Ofcourse -notwithstanding my observation above- the whole situation is fake. Everything looks like staged and managed. The place is not swarming with people looking to collect the money considering the damage inflicted on them. Also for an organization reputed for its efficiency why didn't they pre-count and have little bundles of $ 12 000.00 ready? Why do they have to have their desk clerk count the money on spot other than to show to the camera. If the amt of money going to each claimant is different then I can understand if there is a need to count the money on spot before giving it to the claimant. But here it is said that folks are getting twelve grand straight. Nothing more and nothing less. So why not have pre-stack the money? Its all a show. Typical Arab mentality. More show than substance.
Reply  
Watcher on 2006-08-19 21:17 #22
*A friend of mine sent me a link to the Yahoo AP photo with a $100 bills pointing out to the absence of the security strip, which resulted in similar <a href="http://eye-on-the-world.blogspot.com/2006/08/hezbollah-is-passing-out-counterfeit.html">analysis</a>.
Reply  
JB on 2006-08-20 02:29 #23
*Try the following site for the features of the $100 bill from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing; http://www.moneyfactory.gov/section.cfm/4/32/322

Though there are better images at Wikipedia's site. It is evident that the threads are not as visible from these images.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._hundred_dollar_bill
Reply  
Ashan on 2006-08-20 03:05 #24
*LGF ran an item on July 25 called "Hizballah Funny Money?": http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21768_Hizballah_Funny_Money#comments in which there is a video from NBC News from the rubble of Sidon of a tray of uncut forged $100 bills. This report initially came to light in a John Taranto report for OpinionJournal of the same date: http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110008703.

Zombie notes in a comment: "Actually, this is further evidence of Iranian involvement. Those in the know say that the current re-design of all US currency got started because the IRANIANS got so good at counterfeiting US bills in the '80s that it became a serious problem."

Another commenter exposes a possible North Korean connection via Bill Gertz in The Washington Times (October 12, 2005), U.S. accuses North Korea of $100 bill counterfeiting: http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20051011-102257-5167r.htm
Reply  
rj on 2006-08-20 03:33 #25
*The picture will not show a security thread because you will not see it. If you look carefully, the thread starts from between the R and I on top and ends on the right side of S on the bottom. In the picture if you look carefully on top you have just a tiny bit if this strategic space visible above the person's hand while at the bottom the whole area on the right side of S where the thread should be is covered by the hand. In another words the space where the thread should be is covered by the person's hand except a few micro meter of it at the top which cannot be dicerned. The bill COULD be legit. However, if they are crisp and loads of it are in their possesion it has to be fake. They may as well use Mac Donald's Happy Meal Coupons and pretend it is money.
Reply  
MechEng on 2006-08-22 13:34 #25.1
*Wow, I can see how things get changed just a bit from what you say to what you mean. I said on Newsbusters the thread was just above the seal. My meaning was just above as being held in the photo or to the left of the seal when looking at the bill. Hold a $100 bill up and you will see what I mean. rj if you do this then you will see the portion containing the thread is the part of the bill which is higlighted by the sunlight in the picture. The example given at the bottom shows the thread to the right of the seal, it is on the opposite side from the example shown, ie: to the left of the seal as looking at the bill not on the right of the seal as shown in example. Doesn't much matter though, who in that part of the world is going to notice or care so long as they can get it used they will do so. Another way they can hurt the U.S.
Reply  
ds on 2006-08-20 03:59 #26
*ask the photographer if he has any more close ups of the bills not shown here:

I found an "Eric Gaillard" but I am not sure how (un)common of a name it is... if you speak French you could ask...
Contact : Eric GAILLARD -
Tél : 05 62 08 11 36
Reply  
CK on 2006-08-20 05:29 #27
*These bills look like they just came off the printing press. If they were real, how in the world would Hezzbolah get stacks of money like this, this crisp? Naturally the MSM reporters have zero sense of journalistic integrity to them, just their own personal needs to report their personal view of the news.
Reply  
Killing Time on 2006-08-20 09:51 #28
*Came to the same opinion, yet the media is curiously unconcerned about the issue.

Where did Hezbullah get all the US cash if Israel destroyed the majority of Lebanese banks like the US media reported here? The Lebanese banks stated the had no relationship with Hezbollah, so where did the cash come from?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14015377/
Reply  
Scott on 2006-08-20 09:55 #29
*Logistics and security are two issues that would make me skeptical of the whole thing. You would need roughly $1,000,000 for every 83 residents receiving money. Do you honestly think they would make that kind of money available that quickly throughout a devastated war zone? How? They can't get food and water through. Where's the security? There's more security at a local community bank than there appears to be at these distribution centers -- and we're talking about a war zone.

I don't buy it for a minute.
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UglyAmerican on 2006-08-20 11:25 #30
*Look at the second fauxto from the bottom. The Green seal is barely touching the close side of the last 0 of 100. But in the third fauxto from the bottom the Green seal is touching the far side of the last 0 of 100. If all those bills were real, one of those stacks would be a printing mistake and worth a fortune to collectors. Even a stupid .37 cent postage stamp slightly offset brings a fortune to those lucky enough to find it.
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Jeff H on 2006-08-22 13:27 #31
*What a bunch of maroons those reporters/photogs are.

First question: Why are you handing out US currency to Lebanese citizens, instead of local Lebanese currency?

Second question: Where did you obtain the US currency? It seems to be freshly printed. Did it come from the US Treasury?
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Hello on 2006-08-22 18:44 #32
*The security thread is to the LEFT of the federal reserve seal. The picture of the $100 bill with the red line has it on the right of the seal.

You'd better correct that big error before you start throwing stones.
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Brian on 2006-08-22 22:22 #32.1
*My "red-line" image was sourced from a company which produces <a href="http://www.spectroline.com/currency/counterfeit_currency_ms-250.html">a product</a> that identifies genuine currency strips via a blacklight. It's possible that their graphic is wrong, but I doubt it.

It should be noted that the security thread is located in a different place on each denomination (bill) in print. Even if the strip is on a different side of the seal of a $20 bill (see the website linked above), that doesn't suggest anything about the security thread of a $100 bill.

It has been shown, however, that this is a moot point. The security thread in the picture you refer to, if it is actually there, is obstructed by the man's hand who is holding the "cashola."

I hope this clears things up, and helps demonstrate my desire to publish information that is *true*.

Regards,
Brian
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Socal9705 on 2006-08-22 18:50 #33
*No! No! It must be real. CBS news did a spot on this over the weekend, showing the Hezzies in very favorable light, stating that the Hezbollah have an emergency response system in place that "US citizens would envy." I kid you not. Gee, what a bunch of great guys! If we could just be more like the Hezbollah, imagine how much better the Katrina victims would have fared!
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Brian on 2006-08-22 23:02 #33.1
*LOL!

The bills, of course, are "Fake but accurate."

Regards,
Brian
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Unbeliever on 2006-08-22 21:49 #34
*"A Lebanese woman watches her husband count U.S dollar bills..."

Hey, isnt that woman that same dame, the Most Unlucky Homeowner, who posed in front of several wrecked buildings on several different days?
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anonomous on 2006-08-23 13:46 #35
*interesting collection of information. in a similar vein, (not to be conspiratoralist)....

an aquaintance of mine was intimately familiar with several hundred million dollars aggragate of US money, all the way down to crisp new $20 bills recovered from multiple sites in Iraq, during and after the war.

Perfect bills. Absolutely perfect from the treasury standpoint. But the serial numbers weren't correct... and suddenly, after the war, we have new money on the street.

i was informed that many countries including Iraq, Iran, Syria and Korea print out and use US Dollars, in the end destablising our currency. which i think is 'casus belli'.... seems like the US would rather quietly collect the bills as they find overseas, and not make a big deal about it. and if the hezzies or Tehrannies want to share bad bills among themselves and their local banks, more power to them - but the paper won't work in a western country without being detected.
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Photomunkey on 2006-08-24 11:28 #36
*Did anyone notice "Mr Green Helmet" standing to one side in the first "engineer" photograph? He's on the right side of the picture leaning on his left arm. I don't even have to look at the previous photos of him to know who he is.

Also, that is "the Unlucky Woman" from those wreckage photos! The bags around her eyes are distinctive in her photographs.

Staged photo-op once more, and the MSM buys it hook, line, and stinker...
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Shr_Nfr on 2006-08-29 15:28 #37
*"It has texture, it is not flat and smooth. It is more like cloth than paper" - The paper that US bills are made from is a rag paper. Thus the fact that it will indeed feel like cloth once it is somewhat broken in.
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Ali on 2007-08-16 16:35 #38
*fight Usa and pay by dollars huhuhuh chee maskharra wallaa.

ya 3alam wake up b2a.

[Ed.: Originally posted on 11 Aug 2007 at 13:03 EDT]
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abo wesam on 2007-09-02 13:09 #39
*all the dollars are real,therefore swallow a 6" nail coz we have everything

we will desroy israel and america

guy
saudi arabia
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