The photographs do not appear to have been doctored. They were taken by news photographers covering at least two different demonstrations from different angles on at least two separate days.
The first known Bert-bin Laden posters appeared on Oct. 5 in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, and photographs of them were printed by the Dutch news service Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau and the Associated Press and Reuters news services. At least one other photograph including the posters was taken at another location by Reuters photographer Rafiqur Rahman on Oct. 9.
Reuters spokeswoman Felicia Cosby said the photos were authentic.
"We've just noticed it ourselves, since you queried, that there is Bert on that poster," she said. "I don't know if they're mass-producing these posters, but what I can say is that it is definitely our policy not to doctor photographs."
Associated Press spokesman Jack Stokes said the AP photographs were also untouched.
"We haven't changed the photo at all," he said. "We have very strict editing guidelines."
The AP photographs were taken by Pavel Rahman. Stokes said he did not know if Rahman was another name for, or related to, Rafiqur Rahman.
Cosby said Rafiqur Rahman, a native Bangladeshi, did not know that he was photographing a Muppet when he covered a prayer demonstration for bin Laden's health Oct. 9.
"The photographer is as bemused as we are," she said. "He didn't know what that furry creature was."
/Mike
[Edited last by MickeS on October 11, 2001 at 11:20 AM]
