Tenn. Gov./Artist a Plagerist?

Tennesee Governor Bredesen is getting some flack for the official state Christmas card. It features a painting he did of an Afghan girl and the sentiments it expresses have got some up in arms. Some feel it expresses pro-muslim feelings. Now the Gov. using paintings he has done in the past on the state Christmas card is nothing new, he does this all the time, painting is a hobby of his. But what got me about the article was the image, especially after reading that he based it on "a young woman he met when he toured Afghanistan in March."
That's when the red flag went up. "That's THE chick on the cover!" I thought to myself. National Geographic had a cover photo about 20 years ago with darn near the same image. We had a subscription at the time and that was one of the ones I saved, because I was so struck by the girl's eyes. It's a famous photo...if you are a fan of National Geographic, anyway.
I'd be willing to just blow it off, artists do this all the time, using photos as "inspiration"...but to say it's of an actual girl YOU met. Well, that's really pushing it, I'm afraid.
You decide.

Here's the National Geographic cover:


















And a side by side comparison where I have reversed the N.G. cover shot:






What do you think?
True, there are just barely enough differences to say it is an original piece of work. But I really doubt that it is of a person the good Governor actually met.