Shaun Walker is caught invading Ukraine by his own camera!

Armoured personnel carriers in Russia move towards the Ukraine border. Photograph: Shaun Walker

Some of you might remember an article I wrote on Guardian journalist, Shaun Walker last August: Shaun ‘wish I’d brought my camera’ Walker. Today The Guardian uses the same article by Walker (as a link) to strengthen new claims Russian convoys are crossing the frontier into Eastern Ukraine: Russian tanks and troops crossing into Ukraine, says Nato commander. Well, they might be, but, once again, no verifiable proof is offered.

The strange thing is Shaun Walker now seems to have found a photo he took of 23 Russian armoured personnel vehicles, he claims to have seen crossing the border in August. He definitely didn’t have it before. Even stranger, by the look of it, either he was driving the vehicle when he took the photo, or sitting on top of it. Surely this is proof the photo was taken by someone part of the convoy it is claimed was moving towards the Ukrainian border and not by two people observing it. As some leading vehicles can be made out on the bend, at least we can assume it was a convoy of some sort.

Bearing in mind Walker is credited for the photo, one could be forgiven for thinking he was part of the earlier military incursion he alleges took place. One thing we cannot be sure of is whether the any of the vehicles in his photo carried the ‘official Russian military plates’ he writes of in his article regarding the other, humanitarian, convoy. As there seem to be no plates or markings of any kind on the vehicle in the first photo accompanying the article it could just as easily belong to another convoy, in another country, at another time. This begs the question, if the markings were on the front, why didn’t he snap a shot of the vehicle behind? Then again, enlarging the second photo in the article, it seems the fronts of the two military vehicles in the humanitarian convoy weren’t displaying military plates either, despite his claim all were.

I hurriedly posted a comment on The Guardian on-line edition pointing much of this out at 7-12 this morning. It was still there at the time of writing, though I have the feeling it will be removed.

“In August the Guardian witnessed a column of 23 armoured personnel carriers crossing the border from Russia into Ukraine”

Click onto Shaun Walker’s August article and discover he’s suddenly found the photo he forgot on the original. Shame the armoured vehicle pictured in it has no ID mark and no indication of where it actually is. What is even weirder, he mentioned nothing about riding on one of the Russian vehicles at the time, but he must have, as the photo is definitely taken from the one behind. Click on the article and take a look before this post gets moderated. Miraculously it now has the photo Shaun took but didn’t think to include at the time.

And just in case you don’t believe me, I wrote something about the incident at the time (click onto the date: <a href=”https://bryanhemming.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/shaun-wish-id-brought-my-camera-walker/”>17 August 2014</a>) based on the fact Walker and the Telegraph journalist accompanying him hadn´t taken any photos at the time. Little did I realise they were riding on the turret of one of the vehicles involved.

The western mainstream media now appears to be backing up their own stories using their own previous stories as evidence. They also seem to be prepared to alter those stories in one way or another to fit the new narrative. If the photo Shaun Walker took is truly of a convoy of Russian armoured vehicles entering Ukraine last August by stealth, perhaps he would like to explain how he came to be in, or on, one of the vehicles in the convoy? And why he didn’t mention that in the article. Are we to believe Walker is informed of  hush-hush Russian military manouvres before they happen and invited to accompany them with his camera at the ready?

Newspapers publish articles designed for us to draw conclusions that are supposed to be the truth. Those conclusions can only be based on the evidence presented. If we are deliberately presented with evidence we later discover was intended to deceive, for whatever reason, we are not only entitled, but we are obliged to question every future story published by that media outlet.

To intentionally distort, misrepresent, or lie about events of national and international importance is an act of betrayal. Not only is it a betrayal of the readership, but also a betrayal of all honest journalists putting their lives on the line in war zones on a daily basis. Stories slanted to achieve political or military objectives could potentially put journalists in danger of kidnap and death. That is reality not fiction. We only have to look at ongoing events in Iraq and Syria for examples.

From the evidence Walker himself presents, we can only deduce that either Roland Oliphant from The Telegraph, who both men agree was present, was at the wheel of the Russian armoured vehicle in the convoy, or Shaun Walker was.

If Walker’s story turns out to be true, both he and Roland Oliphant, who he blatantly uses to back up his tale, could face arrest on returning to Britain for attempting to invade Ukraine, thereby breaking several US and EU sanctions, not to mention probable laws against aiding terrorism and the US Patriot Act, to which it seems the whole world is obliged to adhere. Certainly, if we are to take Walker at his word, the photo, coupled with his written account, indicate both men were involved in the attempted invasion. But don’t worry, we can all sleep easily, especially Shaun Walker, who will have made sure his back is covered.

Though Shaun Walker doesn’t actually claim this is a photo he took at the time, that appears to be the impression someone at The Guardian wants to give us, as Walker is named as having taken it. There is nothing to suggest the photo is of armoured vehicles somewhere else at a different time, quite the opposite. Sleep well, Shaun.

Copyright © 20014 Bryan Hemming