So why did the troops have all those cameras?

[slater71]

If they didn`t know, then why when Chimpy entered the room and they stood up with cameras.

[Skittles]

1. oh please

we all know why

[cthrumatrix]

22. they DID know somebody....they thought an entertainer

actually one guy thought it would be Shania Twain (sp)....so this is why they had cameras

maybe some were disappointed

[Lisa]

23. well, if they used the Twain rumor as a decoy ...

I'm relieved that Bush didn't snatch the opportunity for yet another double-entendre joke:

"I realize that on July 4, you had the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. I recognize I don't look quite as pretty ..."
--to U.S. troops at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, July 24, 2001

[maddezmom]

2. great call

thought the same thing....for Paul?

[htuttle]

3. Probably the same sort of miracle...

...that distributed little American flags to the crowd during the initial marine landing in Kuwait in '91.

It's the magic of Hill & Knowles.

[donsu]

4. the troops all have cameras - carry them at all times

sarcasm

[HawkerHurricane]

5. Actually, you'd be surprised

A small camera is a great thing to have on deployment; if I were in the army I'd make space for on in my bag.

[JackRiddler]

6. Agree...

most everyone has a camera on a journey nowadays... I know I'd take one... a lot of them built into the cell phone, with flash... the entrance still looks faked, but these are fake people (Bremer, the brass and Bush, I mean, not the soldiers...)

[Neecy]

7. I thought the same thing....

Bizarre that people going to a tent to eat dinner bring along so many cameras...they were probably handed out at the door so his God-like little chimp face would be aglow with flashes.

I mean, what are the chances that almost every one of these people would be 'armed' with a camera?

[Knoxville_Bob]

8. Not Odd

Considering that they were going to be eating with Bremer - I carried a camera with me everywhere when I was on active duty. Had space for it in my mobility bag, carried film. Never knew when you were going to have an opportunity for a great picture. So no - it's not odd/unusual that they had them.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Knoxville_Bob!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[scottcsmith]

9. That's a bit cynical

My guess is that the word got spread a couple of hours before that a VIP was coming to visit. That's not uncommon on a holiday during a war. On Christmas day, 1990, me and my shipmates in the Persian Gulf learned that some people from the USO tour were going to visit the ship and say hello to us as we ate lunch. We had no idea who it was going to be, but a lot of the guys had cameras ready for when the celebs finally showed up.

[Knoxville_Bob]

10. Watched the video a couple times

I only see a few cameras in the hands of soldiers when he walks into the room. The rapid fire flashes you're seeing are from the cameras in the press pool. Watching clips from the dining facility, it's the same thing - the high speed flashes are from the press cameras.

[louis-t]

24. As evidenced by the slide show...

of 89 photos where most of them look the same or similar.

[Nailzberg]

12. To take pictures of the lovely centerpieces.

At least, that's what I see people do at weddings.

[IndianaGreen]

13. I venture to guess they were issued those cameras by the White House

and I wouldn't be surprised if that part of the story would eventually come out, as the truth about the "Mission Accomplished" banned did.

[Knoxville_Bob]

14. What part?

I'm still looking for all the cameras that were supposedly there.

[IndianaGreen]

16. It was shown in the video, but here are some BBC stills

See the camera being held by a soldier to the right of this picture...

[Knoxville_Bob]

19. Ok

I see four, possibly five cameras in those pictures. That's a small number of cameras for that number of GIs. I always carried a camera in my mobility bag as well as a lot of film.

The posts are making it sound like every GI in the crowd had a camera, and it looks like it's far from it.

Someone questioned why the crowd stood when the President walked into the room - it's simple - he's the President - it's what you do - it's what I did when I met his father years ago and I was in the military.

[corarose]

26. Get real the Monkey wanted a Photo Op so he ruined their dinner

Also, notice the minority shot that one will be used for everything.

[maggrwaggr]

25. that's silly. GI's get good deals on cameras through the PX

When my Dad was in vietnam, they all ordered a ton of electronics stuff from Japan while they were there because they could get really great deals on them.

While in Nam he took probably thousands of photographs. It's what soldiers do when in foreign countries. Hell it's what everybody does in foreign countries. Wouldn't you?

[populistmom]

15. They don't know they're members of...

The Karl Rove Photography Club. :puke:

Click. click. Heil chimpo!

[ShaneGR]

17. Most of them probably own them

It's not uncommon for soldiers to take a lot of pictures. Seriously.

[creativelcro]

20. oh

[Nailzberg]

18. Honestly, they probably got some buzz that a VIP would be there.

So they brought cameras. Hell, I would. Course, I wouldn't have used it when I saw who the VIP was. Unless someone threw egg at him, then I'd use it.

[leftofthedial]

21. it was the same sort of staged event and preselected group

the waste of skin in chief always appears before.

[corarose]

27. Preselected you've got that right

We are not fools here on DU and we know that they just don't let anyone in like us "Democratic or Liberal" people. Hell, I don't even think that they would let a green party member in.