Washington, Oct. 24 (TNS): Soon after a two-hour secret visit to Afghanistan by Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson and President Ashraf Ghani on Monday was publicly disclosed, both the Americans and the Afghans released photographs – however, the one released by the latter were apparently altered.
The meeting was not held in Kabul, but in a windowless room in Bagram, the heavily fortified American military base a 90-minute drive away, The New York Times reported.
The misinformation, apparently meant to obscure the true venue, was betrayed by discrepancies in the similar photographs.
Both show Tillerson and Ghani sitting at the head of the room, two giant television screens behind them. On the coffee table between them are a thermos, two cups and bottled water. Their delegations sit across from each other.
But the version released by Ghani’s office erased the large digital clock showing “Zulu time” — the military term for Coordinated Universal Time — and a red fire alarm behind Tillerson and Ghani, in what would be a giveaway that it was an American military facility.
