Why AP Had to Dig Up a 3-Year-Old File Photo

First the good news: AP looks at Hamas and Fatah cracking down on each other:

Both governments carry out arbitrary arrests, ban rivals from travel, exclude them from civil service jobs and suppress opposition media, the rights groups say. Torture in both West Bank and Gaza lockups includes beatings and tying up detainees in painful positions.

Hamas and Abbas' Fatah organization have harassed each other ever since the Islamic militant Hamas seized Gaza in 2007. However, the crackdowns have become more sweeping in recent months as each aims to strengthen its grip on its respective territory.

The bad news: the wire service needed a three-year-old file photo to illustrate the story.

FILE- In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 File photo, Palestinian members of the Hamas Executive Force use their batons as they detain a Fatah supporter during clashes at a protest following Muslim prayers in Gaza City. New reports by Palestinian rights groups highlight a surprising symmetry in the abuse that the U.S.-backed government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and his Iranian-supported rivals Hamas in Gaza inflict on each other. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

Hamas and Fatah don't operate by the same free press rules as Israel. Palestinian photographers know that fresh pictures of these crackdowns will mean one thing: the billyclubs turning on them. This is one story they'd rather cover up than be a part of.

Posted at 11:53 AM