# Is this photo a little over the top? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298 "2003-03-30T22:42:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/1 "2003-03-30T22:42:23Z")
I don’t even support the war, and I thought this picture was just a tad much. It’s the photo of the bedouin boy. > **[The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos](https://www.nytimes.com/)** > > Live news, investigations, opinion, photos and video by the journalists of The New York Times from more than 150 countries around the world. Subscribe for coverage of U.S. and international news, politics, business, technology, science, health, arts,... Registered site, but you should be able to access to front page without signing up. ---
**Author:** ![snac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@snac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snac)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/2 "2003-03-30T22:53:30Z")
Over the top in what way? ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/3 "2003-03-30T23:02:39Z")
There are also two men in the photo. The troops are questioning the men, not the boy (I think). I don’t see what’s over the top about it. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/4 "2003-03-30T23:03:38Z")
Alas, by tomorrow morning, that link isn’t going to work (there will be a new front page). I thought the photo was pretty funny. I can’t help but think that this kid, who looks to be about 10, is probably outwitting the U.S. Army intelligence officers who are questioning him! ---
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/5 "2003-03-30T23:13:43Z")
Yes, the boy is obviously not the subject of the questioning (I think). My point? Look at cropping, the perspective, the fact that the guns are at the boy’s eye level, the fact that only the boy’s face is visible, and that cowering expression on his face. Perhaps the intelligence officers could not be photographed. Who knows? Just thought making the boy the center of the photo was a bit misleading. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/6 "2003-03-30T23:19:25Z")
Photo: [http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2003/03/30/international/30cnd-CIRAQ.274.jpg](http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2003/03/30/international/30cnd-CIRAQ.274.jpg) And caption: “A boy looked on as U.S. Army intelligence officers questioned Bedouins about Iraqi troop movements today in central Iraq.” I also don’t get it. Ok, a boy. In the war zone. So what. We all knew it. ---
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/7 "2003-03-30T23:26:51Z")
Actually, the “A boy looked on as” part was not included when I originally saw the page. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![censored](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/35a633/32.png) [@censored](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/censored)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/8 "2003-03-31T02:37:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Early Out \* > \*\*I thought the photo was pretty funny. I can’t help but think that this kid, who looks to be about 10, is probably outwitting the U.S. Army intelligence officers who are questioning him! \*\* :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/9 "2003-03-31T05:05:03Z")
Given that there have been cases of people “surrendering” and then shooting, I don’t think I blame the soldier for keeping whoever it is in his funsights until he’s sure. ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-photo-a-little-over-the-top/165298/10 "2003-03-31T05:12:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MLS \* > \*\*Given that there have been cases of people “surrendering” and then shooting, I don’t think I blame the soldier for keeping whoever it is in his funsights until he’s sure. \*\* Check the photo again. The soldiers aren’t actually pointing they’re guns at anyone.