Hostage Pictures and 'Proof of Life'
Video Transcript:
Video Transcript:
New hostage photos of Robert Levinson were released on Jan. 8, almost six years after his disappearance. Levinson, a U.S. citizen and former FBI agent, went missing on the Iranian island of Kish in March 2007. While the images were recently released, the photos were initially sent to the family's website in April 2011 and were likely evaluated by U.S. investigators at that time. Although it's horrible for the family and loved ones to see their family member in this condition, pictures and videos provide proof that the hostage is alive, which means hope remains for a potential release, rescue or escape. From an investigator's perspective, agents and analysts are assigned to examine the photos with a fine-tooth comb, looking for clues about the location and the individuals or group that is holding the hostage.
As a former special agent with experience in debriefing numerous hostages held long term by terrorist groups, photographs and videos of hostages are of tremendous value inside the intelligence and counterterrorism community and can provide numerous leads to pursue. The information gleaned is especially interesting as more photos are released over several years of the hostage's ordeal, allowing investigators to create a more complete profile of the hostage takers and the hostage's location.
For example, pictures and videos are evaluated by FBI and CIA medical doctors for signs of health and compare them to past baseline pictures, in part to determine the age of the picture and ensure the images are not a deception. The location of the photo is examined -- whether inside or out, underground, in a jail, or posed in front of a set. Lighting conditions are examined, along with other signs of the photographer's expertise. The victim's clothing is looked at to see if it's new or old and where it could have been manufactured.
Props and stages are evaluated. The language of prepared statements and signs are closely assessed, to include psycho-linguistic analysis on the written text. Background noises on any audio are enhanced to listen for anything that may give a clue to the victim's location -- dogs barking, farm animals, horns honking, children playing, aircraft landing or taking off.
In the case of Levinson, the long-term "care and feeding" of the hostage is most telling. Why? While it may be relatively easy to carry out the initial part of a kidnapping attack, it takes tremendous resources and stability to keep the hostage alive and hidden for longer periods of time. Anyone who has contact with the hostage, or knows of his whereabouts, must also be convinced to stay silent about the hostage's location. The longer a hostage is kept alive and proof of life signs are purposely leaked to the media, it becomes more likely that the hostage is being held by a state sponsor of terror or a group closely aligned with an intelligence service. In this case, all fingers point toward Iran, or an Iranian surrogate, which was Levinson's last known whereabouts.
