Fake Photo Makes Egypt Leader Of The Pack
Friday, 17th September 2010 09:54
A newspaper photograph showing the Egyptian President at the front of a group of world leaders including Barack Obama has been exposed as a fake.
The image, which appeared in the state-run paper Al-Ahram, shows Hosni Mubarak leading the US President, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan down the red carpet at the White House.
In the original Mr Mubarak was lagging behind the other leaders. Al-Ahram, which has the biggest circulation of any newspaper in Egypt, published the doctored image on Tuesday. However, the alteration was spotted by blogger Wael Khalil who posted both pictures on his website later that day.
The revelation comes ahead of parliamentary elections in Egypt in November. Opposition group 6 April Youth Movement accused Al-Ahram of being "unprofessional". "This is what the corrupt regime's media has been reduced to," they said.
