Syria: A Turn In Western Media Coverage?
There seems to be slight turn in the western media coverage of Syria. Here in Germany the press has now more reports showing the "rebels" as what they really are: traveling jihadists and foreign paid rabble. Commentators on the news websites are now mostly highly critical about the usual propaganda pieces and the German government policy of supporting the SNC. There also seems to be a slight shift in international media.
Alex Thomson is in Syria for the British Channel 4. He put up a Q&A at his blog. Some excerpts:
What will happen in Aleppo?Probably what happened in Damascus – the rebels will lose.
...
But the rebels look to be doing well on TV?That’s because they are winning the propaganda war better than the real war.
...
But why is the Syrian army shelling its own people?You could just as easily ask why are the rebels using the Syrian people as human shields? It’s a dirty civil war and the rebels sometimes choose to fight in residential areas.
...
So what do Syrians want?Hard to tell. But for sure this is not Egypt – there are no Tahrir Squares or vast protests against the regime.
There is no discernible sign in any of the big cities – Homs, Aleppo and Damascus for example,that the people even wish to rise up against the regime.
On Twitter Thomson also said that there he observed no food shortage and that last weeks queues in front of gasoline stations in Damascus are now gone. For now the center certainly holds.
The Irish Times finds two Libyan born naturalized Irish guys fighting in Syria. There aim is an Islamic state:
According to Harati, who first came to Syria some 10 months ago for what he says was initially humanitarian work, the brigade emerged after Syrians approached him due to his experience as commander of the Tripoli Brigade in Libya last year. The Tripoli Brigade was one of the first rebel units into the Libyan capital last August.Liwa al-Umma is made up of more than 6,000 men, 90 per cent of whom are Syrian. The rest are mostly Libyans and other Arabs, including several who live in Ireland.
What will those "several who live in Ireland" and are now fighting Syria do once they come back home to Ireland?
The Guardian, which has since the very beginning been one of the worst propaganda outlets on Syria, is having second thoughts. Today's editorial is calling not for more war but for negotiations:
But what if Assad continues to hold on? For weeks, for months, even longer? That is why the second option, a return to diplomacy and, in particular, a new start by America and Russia in dealing with this terrible problem, cries out for consideration.
This may be a sign for a turning point in western coverage and media attitude towards the situation in Syria.
Posted by b on July 28, 2012 at 17:50 UTC | Permalink
« previous pageManuel Ochsenreiter is the editor of German-language news magazine Zuerst, www.zuerst.de. He has an excellent report in English about Syria published 30 Jul 2012 which starts off:
Visitors might expect to find a country shocked and paralyzed by war, full of destruction. But when I arrived in Damascus on 12 July with a journalist visa to report for ZUERST! I saw none of these things. I took the land route from Beirut to Damascus, although a lot of people had told me the route wasn’t safe, because Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels had declared that they controlled around 85% of Syria. But when I crossed the Lebanese-Syrian border, I witnessed the normal border traffic – no masses of refugees, no panic, no fights. The route to Damascus had several Syrian Army checkpoints, but was calm and safe. Damascus itself was placid, and normal life went on....On 15 July, the rebels launched what they called “Damascus Volcano”, their military assault on the capital, claiming it would be a decisive operation. But all I noticed from the al-Bahsa neighborhood where I was staying were helicopters flying high above some suburbs, and occasional explosions, about five kilometres away. Normal life on the streets of Damascus went on, notwithstanding excitable Western media reports that the whole capital was an inferno. The war was confined to a few suburbs, like Al-Midan...."
I recommend the whole article by Manuel Ochsenreiter at http://www.quarterly-review.org/?p=948 . I got the link from friday-lunch-club.blogspot.com.
Manuel Ochsenreiter says "Western policymakers have a woefully wrong notion of Syria’s “Arab Spring”. There is little or no liberal, progressive opposition." What I myself say is subtly different because I say it positively: "The liberal, progressive people in Syria support Assad." And while I'm at it, I'll add that so too do the preponderance of professional workers of all kinds, and better educated people in general, including the better educated people who are conservative in their religion. Most of the poorly educated are and will be following the lead of the better educated.
This shit is giving me a headache.. now Ban Ki-Moon, the retarded head of UN, accuse the Syrian Army of attacking the new UN-delegate with a tank, in the same wind there were reports of blown-out tanks parked along the streets.. Somehow I'm not convinced there was a Syrian soldier in that tank, it more likely was a FSA-captured vehicle, right? And western media unanimously report the story as the truth.
Posted by: Alexander | Jul 31 2012 13:10 utc | 103
On the UN Secretary-General, my go-to guy is always John Bolton. (/s) JB right after Ban gained his SG post:
"The United Nations as an institution cannot have a legitimate position on a domestic issue such as the death penalty [of Saddam Hussein, in this case] when there is such fundamental disagreement among its sovereign members -- and especially where democratically legitimate governments have different views. To say that the secretary general must mouth the position adopted by a majority of countries in some U.N. body, whether legitimately or not, is a prescription for endless trouble. Were earlier secretaries supposed to declare routinely that "Zionism is a form of racism," as the General Assembly solemnly and overwhelmingly decided in 1975?
"According to the U.N. Charter, the secretary general is the institution's "chief administrative officer" -- not its chief moralizer. Those who complain that Ban's comment forfeited the role that Annan so ardently played should understand instead that Annan's proclivities were not ultimately helpful to the world body. If he had spent less time moralizing and more time doing his day job, the United Nations may have been spared the oil-for-food scandal, procurement fraud and widespread sexual exploitation and abuse by its peacekeepers." --Jan 14, 2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/12/AR2007011202061.html
Israeli source at DEBKA: Saudi silence on intelligence chief Bandar’s fate denotes panic
Posted by: revenire | Jul 31 2012 15:14 utc | 105
May be the Saudis know that something isn't confirmed until it's denied :).
But DEBKA isn't very reliable. Though I don't know why they would float this rumor as Israel and the Saudis are on the same side. Perhaps to blame Iran but it doesn't put in a good light the Saudis. Another option is just that they need hits on their propaganda site.
In any case the Saud family is quite secretive, for obvious reasons, on the 'health' and state of their main family members.
Posted by: ThePaper | Jul 31 2012 15:48 utc | 106
well, the ice is broken ... another Debka link on Aleppo: The bid for Syria’s first safe haven in Aleppo region is thwarted
I'm having withdrawal symptoms to news from Aleppo
Posted by: claudio | Jul 31 2012 15:54 utc | 107
@ThePaper - Debka, as an intelligence muothpiece, has to mix real news and propaganda; the problem is that because one can't tell one from the other, such sites (see also, for example, "The Telegraph") aren't very useful; but the article on Aleppo seems real to me: why else describe the defeat of the NATO-GCC operation to establish a safe haven in Syria? it seems all the strategy hinged on such operation
Posted by: claudio | Jul 31 2012 16:01 utc | 108
Curious, as all other western media is hailing that the 'rebels' are winning and expanding their area of control with a whole corridor up to the Turkish border. Including gloating about executing 40 police officers in an attack to the central police office in Aleppo.
Posted by: ThePaper | Jul 31 2012 16:08 utc | 109
I wonder if Bandar was killed (if he was killed) as part of a KSA succession struggle? My understanding is that King Abdullah and his faction hate Bandar and never wanted him appointed in the first place. If so, the attack on Damascus would provide a suitable cover to kill Bandar and have suspicion fall on Syria/Iran.
That is pure speculation. But if he was killed in an internal power struggle, I wonder if that's even worse (from the Saudi point of view) than being killed in retaliation for the Damascus bombing. Saudi royals offing one another is definitely occasion for popcorn.
Posted by: Lysander | Jul 31 2012 16:09 utc | 110
Show me a "revolutionary vanguard" and I'll show you an organisation dominated by police spies, provocateurs, Pied Pipers and the criminally insane.
Posted by: bevin | Jul 31 2012 16:37 utc | 111
I think what you Leftists need to realize is that there is a difference between what you WANT to be happening, and what is ACTUALLY happening.
A revolution is taking place. Against a secular dictator who has worked with the CIA and assisted them with the rendition program that you all claim to despise so much. His family has been in power for over four decades and has plundered the countries resources, and spent the money they have stolen in the poshest neighborhoods of London, Paris and Geneva. Why are you guys defending him again?
Assad is done. He has no viable option left expect MAYBE deciding to kill a million or so with his chemical weapons and praying NATO doesn't bomb out every palace and hiding spot he has.
But I will let you clowns keep typing away, finding an article here and there that you can claim shows that Assad will somehow prevail in the end, just like you all did for Ghaddafi. But no worries, the people of Syria will keep fighting on until Assad is dead and the revolution prevails.
Posted by: Reality Check | Jul 31 2012 16:43 utc | 113
It wasn't people from Libya who defeated the Ghaddafi regime.
Posted by: ThePaper | Jul 31 2012 16:57 utc | 114
Lefty? Me? I'm a firm believer in law and order, no interference in sovereign nations, impartial media and no armed rabble in the streets.
Posted by: dh | Jul 31 2012 17:15 utc | 115
@ the racist lefty moron #99
" terrified whiteys just like hubris"
seriously - wtf are you talking about you racist moron ?
Posted by: Hu Bris | Jul 31 2012 17:51 utc | 116
you obviously have some serious problem regarding race - but projecting a mirror-image of your own race-issues onto anyone that points at your obvious race-issues, just makes you look desperate and pretty pathetic tbh
Posted by: Hu Bris | Jul 31 2012 17:56 utc | 117
"E.G. The emphasis on attacking others who don't share his/her exact point of view, rather than going after the pricks stealing everything is classic neo-liberal acquiescence. "
Riiiiight - we'll all just ignore your own sterling efforts in that regard, Mr Hypocrite
Posted by: Hu Bris | Jul 31 2012 18:12 utc | 118
Division is an essential tool in the elite’s armoury
precisely my point - which in your ridiculaous "Anti-racist" racist-hysteria you seem unable parse in any respect other than 'blackfella/whitefella" - essentially you're doing their job for them - well done, Mr Blindfella
Posted by: Hu Bris | Jul 31 2012 19:18 utc | 119
re: The NZ Māori which you appear to have a fetish for- they were as addicted to slavery as any of what you would call 'whitefellas' - not that one would ever know that reading your rant though - you remind me of the sheep in Orwell's "Animal Farm":
"Four legs? Good!
Two Legs? Bad!
Or in your case:
Blackfella? Good!
Whitefella? Bad!
Lefty racists like yourself like to pretend that your 'whitefellas' invented slavery and subjugation of 'others' - but of course they did nothing of the sort - they were merely the most sucessful at it, in recent times.
Posted by: Hu Bris | Jul 31 2012 19:28 utc | 120
Realith Check @ 113 -- Thank you for your input. All opinions from all points of view are welcome.
However, if you have some citations, links. other sources which provide evidence for your statements, they would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by: jawbone | Jul 31 2012 20:35 utc | 121
The comments to this entry are closed.
this appeared in my email inbox: latest from AIs(or is that CIAs) roving propagandist Donatella Rovera: whats missing?:
Dear ......
I recently returned from a months-long fact-finding mission to Syria where I witnessed first-hand the extent of the atrocities being committed by government forces and militias working alongside the military. [COMMENT:AKA the Shabiha! funny cause aside from Donatella and the FSA these militias dont exist! or the syrian people dont report them]
In Aleppo, Syria's largest city, I saw people -- including a 16-year-old schoolboy -- being shot dead and injured by security forces and militias during peaceful demonstrations.[COMMENT: Did you know? But how can anyone be sure you did? Besides taking your word for it Donatella]
Elsewhere in every town and village I saw homes burned down to the ground and spoke to families of young men who had been dragged from their homes and murdered by soldiers. The abuses were systematic and massive in scale. More recently opposition fighters have also been committing abuses and the situation is likely to deteriorate further the longer this conflict goes on.
[COMMENT: Donatella says TRUST ME...these emails posted gratis to millions of recipients make blatant acccusations, proof zero! Now if these actions were widespread and massive, we'd expect the syrian people not to support their govt and army...yet they do! so something is not quite right...]
People who care -- like you -- must speak out against this senseless violence. Your donation today will help support Amnesty International's actions to uncover the truth, demand accountability, and prevent human rights abuses in the future.
[COMMENT: after reading the above evidence libelous free bilge, they want me to pay for it! Nice!]
As you read this, intense fighting between government forces and opposition fighters is taking place in Syria, where residential neighborhoods have been turned into battlefields and civilians are more at risk than ever. Tens of thousands have fled their homes just in recent days, joining the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced in the past year.
[COMMENT: 'opposition fighters'...no mention of their nationality, of the atrocities they have committed...Donatalla apparently didnt see them do one thing wrong...]
Despite the escalating violence, the international community has tragically failed to take effective action -- essentially standing by as children, women and men are slaughtered.
That is why it is imperative that Amnesty International continues its efforts speaking out on behalf of Syrian civilians and taking critical steps to hold accountable those responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Your donation will help us:
Send other researchers like myself into the field to document atrocities and share them with influencers and leaders around the world.
Put pressure on the United Nations Security Council to take concrete action to protect the civilian population and to hold the perpetrators of these terrible crimes accountable.
When atrocities like what I've seen in Syria are committed, we must not turn our heads or despair that there is nothing we can do. We must keep global attention on Syria. Your donation can make a difference.
Sincerely,
Donatella Rovera
Senior Crisis Response Adviser
Amnesty International
----------------------------
My donation would only help serial liars like Donatella continue their wretched work to destroy syria....
Sorry Donatella..,..i would pay to help put an end to Amnesty International, its lies and its support for terrorism
Posted by: brian | Jul 31 2012 6:28 utc | 101