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introduction2
Numerous websites have already documented
the various problems and anomalies surrounding the official story
of Nick Berg's decapitation. As such, this article will forego a
rehashing of these issues in order to address one aspect of the
evidence which lends itself to a more objective sort of investigation,
viz., photographic color analysis.
Following a RGB color comparison between
four still images taken from the Nick Berg video and four pictures
released from Abu Ghraib, the average RGB values of 8000 total pixels
were found to be almost indistinguishable from one another.
method
Four JPG format stills were obtained from
the Nick Berg decapitation video. Likewise, four JPG format photos
of the Abu Ghraib atrocities were downloaded from an online news
site. Each photo was then opened in Photoshop 6.0 for RGB sampling.
Each photo was edited to create four red horizontal lines to create
five levels for purposes of color sampling, as indicated below:
**Note: All pictures have
been reduced in size for purposes of website presentation
 
 
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Berg3
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Berg4
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Utilizing the Color Sampler Tool
in Photoshop, with sampling size set for a 5x5 pixel average
(25 pixels), eight color samples were obtained across each
of the five levels of the areas of exposed wall color. Thus,
the average pixel color for each picture was based on a
total of 1000 pixels. Some attention was given to avoiding
the most obvious areas of shadow in photo Berg4. Otherwise,
color samples were taken in such a manner as to create a
fairly uniform grid pattern. The same process was repeated
to sample the Abu Ghraib pictures shown below:
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Again, pixel sampling was limited
to exposed areas of wall color, avoiding the more obvious areas
of shadowing, and sampled in fairly uniform grid patterns.
All pixel sampling results were recorded
in Microsoft Excel. Following completion of pixel sampling, the
results were summed in order to obtain average RGB values across
both sets of pictures.
results & analysis
By comparing the average RGB color values
of 4000 pixel samples from Abu Ghraib pictures and the average RGB
color values of 4000 pixels from the Nick Berg decapitation, it
is found that the average RGB color values between each set of pictures
is virtually indistinguishable. The average RGB values of the wall
color at Abu Ghraib are: R=187, G=163 B=92. Average wall color at
the site of Nick Berg's decapitation is: R=184, G=160, B=105.
The difference between these
results appears to be little more than inherent issues of lighting
and shadow.
problems
The primary problem with this
analysis clearly pertains to the integrity of the images examined
as related to format conversions and the inherent differences between
digital video and photographic color schemes. Since these matters
are outside of the author's expertise, they must be explored by
those with greater knowledge of these issues. Nonetheless, the guiding
principle in this examination is sound: we exist in a time where
the human element is largely removed from the conversion process.
As such, is believed that the resulting images that were examined,
being the product of computerized conversions, are very close to
the values of the originally encoded images.
The secondary issue pertaining
to this examination is obviously that of lighting and shadows. The
best approach this author could think of was to avoid, as much as
possible, the most obvious areas of shadowing.
conclusion
Although this analysis does not provide the
final convincing argument that Nick Berg was decapitated at Abu
Ghraib, combined with all of the other evidence brought forth in
this regard, it certainly provides a strong objective basis
for argument along these lines. Likewise,
this examination shines a light on an investigative approach that
has, thus far, been largely ignored.
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