I’m with you on the shell theory— that don’t look like a rocket attack. Could have been shrapnel/debris, but punching through the top of the truck? Angle’s all wrong.

Also, I doubt it was explosive, just a plain ol’ shell— anything that goes boom in an enclosed space (say, the inside of a truck) is going to take out the windows.

Then again, I ain’t a ballistics expert, so what the hell do I know?

There is no way to believe Roto-Reuters now. They left their credibility in Lebanon. It’s bad when you can’t even believe their pictures, and as usual it’s a 99 44/100 % chance they are wrong again. Israel doesn’t have that many weak (or left wing) rockets.

I don’t know… The inside of the car didn’t look that bad, and even if it was hit by 20mm shells, did those shells only hit the inside of the car, when the door was opened? The right fender seems fine, and there didn’t appear to be any damage on the right side of the vehicle near the door (better shots needed).

As for the bloodsoaked guy — an acquaintence of mine once remarked about forehead injuries, stating that if you get cut there, a surprisingly large amount of blood will come gusing out; he said that due to that reason, japanese swordsman would graze their adverasry’s forehead in order to create an opening while the blood was coming out and imparing their vision. For that reason they also wore headbands. Anyway, my point is that the guy’s injury seems to be just that — a grazed forehead (by what?), and nothing else.

Also, did you notice all those guys huddling around him, “helping” him go to the hospital? Call me a cynic, but looks to me very much like those scenes in the Pallywood movies, where someone fakes an injury, and 10 people around him rush to pick him up, and take him to an ambulance.

Clearly, if the truck was hit by ordnance, it was either of the nonexplosive variety, or they were very lucky that it was a dud. In either case, the round should have been retrievable at the site (from the ground), or perhaps even from the vehicle after it was moved from the site.

It seems pretty clear, armored up or not, that it was not hit by a “missile”. Perhaps a rocket (still unlikely), the 20mm shell sounds like a good fit. It could just as easily been an RPG or grenade as well- perhaps not even Israeli- but they’re not denying it, so we’ll toss those possiblities out.

Someone needs to tell these guys that night vision doesn’t show markings, no matter how many or multi-colored they are. Don’t think markings will protect you- they’re only paint, and by the way- ever heard of friendly fire? If that can happen, so can hitting journalists. While we’re at it, staying in your armored vehicle in ‘hot’ zones is probably good advice as well, and when dismounted, a shoulder held camera from the front looks just like a rocket launcher. Hope that helps.

There is a picture on page 1 of New York Times today (4/17/08). The pictures of “Wounded Palestinians lay near the car of Fadel Shana, a cameraman for Reuters…” is credited to: Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.” I googled Mohammed Abed’s name. Now I’m 98% convinced it is staged by the Palestinians. There is no one else around the vehicle except the 2 “victims” and the photographer. I wouldn’t doubt that they blew the truck up themselves — just so Mohammed could get his picture.