Media Lies: Fabricating news in Syria and lessons for Sri Lanka – Opinion
(By: Shenali Waduge) source:
First things first, since when and by whom has the US been appointed the world’s policeman to accuse fellow nations, oust political leaders, invade nations, fire unmanned drones that kill civilians and use western media to brainwash the public into thinking that the US is saving humanity and safeguarding human rights?
After a series of manipulated staged “rebellions” in the Middle East/Africa the US and West are now in Syria and the media has been exposed for fabricating stories to advance the agenda of the US and the West.
The media in tow with Western human rights organizations declare themselves the mouthpieces of the truth being relayed to all corners of the world whenever and wherever conflicts take place. Well that is what they would like us to believe. Where are they getting their numbers from and how reliable are the figures they are quoting as if they were watching these incidents take place?
Since we are not too far off from Sri Lanka’s own experience we can empathize with the situation in Syria. We know how numbers from “anonymous” groups were used to demonize a Government! Ironically the actions of the West made local leaders into bigger heroes particularly because people began to read through the Western designs. The sources favored by the West end up becoming publicized globally by mainstream media and becomes accepted as “factual evidence” quoted and used to question politicians by the West, foreign think tanks, international humanitarian organizations and even the UN. Funnily enough non-elected bodies become “democratic movements” and pagans of virtue. They can shoot, they can kill but it is only when the Government defends which is within its right that the West shouts foul play.
Such was the case with the report of deaths in Homs and the public are often misguided on what to believe. Such was also the case with the civilian deaths quoted by these sources that are being used against the Sri Lankan Government without any proof. There is a difference in “reportedly been killed” or “reported deaths” – yet the fanfare associated with the media coverage of the killing aims at laying the blame at the Syrian forces – and objective is thus achieved. Mainstream media completely ignores the truth or rather is not interested in the truth because the truth is an obstacle to their agenda.
Then the UN takes over by giving their estimate of deaths which actually is from the same source! Incidentally in the case of Syria, the source happens to be the Local Coordination Committee which has been organizing most of the protests across Syria. Sounds like our own set of local NGOs who became the source in Sri Lanka. Most often dissidents are encouraged and even financed by the West. We can but recall just one incident wherein the Sri Lankan military targeted an LTTE training center in the middle of the Vanni jungles and the entire world including the UN came down on Sri Lanka accepting LTTE’s position that it was an orphanage! LTTE – child soldiers – orphanage in the jungle…. just does not make sense!
It is not just the West that is conniving to topple Syria. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar are all chipping in. They have even openly supplied arms and ammunition to these rebels. There are foreign forces inside Syria, just like how they landed in Libya to topple the Gaddafi government. Along with NATO they destroyed civilian infrastructure and used media to project to us that Libyans rebels had to be given the credit!
Yet in all the countries that have seen an Arab Spring the people are beginning to realize they have been given an Arab winter….reign of Muslim Brotherhood means absolutely no freedom for Muslim women and the establishment of Islamic fundamentalism and Shariah laws. Is this better than ousting a “dictator”?
The impression CNN, BBC and other mainstream media enjoy projecting is a country burning apart – buildings in ruins, dead bodies everywhere, state security on the rampage….but unbiased visitors to Syria have found out that the scenario was nothing like what was being relayed. How can a few visitors counter what mainstream media powerfully relays? The trend is to cook up story after story to justify unlawful military attacks. What country would not take action to defend itself against extremist actions especially when they are being armed from overseas?
Now the next logical question is that after over a year why has President Assad not been defeated if he was so abhorred by his people and prefer the rebels instead especially when the West and media in particular are giving its fullest support to the rebels even going so far as to arm and train them? What is clear is that while all the people of Syria may not love Assad they certainly do not hate him or prefer the rebels any better. Where does that leave the West in their gameplan to get rid of Assad or for that matter President Rajapakse?
The plan to take over Syria was contrived years ago – the rebellion was just a whitewash to facilitate the entry of the West. The Kofi-Annan 6 point peace plan was written by US meant as a ploy to buy time to set the situation for attacks. We know the UN statements thereafter…with UN Secretary General “disturbed” by the violations by Assad’s forces and harassment to opposition. We can only recall how Sri Lanka was treated in the final months of the conflict.
Western media has confirmed that UK/CIA/M16 training anti-Assad western backed insurgents even supplying them with arms and ammunition and equipment. How can we accept that the Syrian uprising was a natural one against the Syrian Government? Moreover what credibility do these insurgents have when special forces from the West are on the ground assisting them to topple Syria’s Government? Not a word is said by any of the mainstream media to question why western governments should be helping insurgents who they had trained to actually start the rebellion in the first place.
To expose how unfair mainstream media has been in their reporting of Syria a few examples need to be looked at. The fabrications and lies are too long to list out. Just youtube to see the stories that would take you step by step showcasing the lies told by CNN, BBC, French news and practically all western mainstream media while the West expels Syrian diplomats for crimes committed by the West!
Reuters had to apologize for relaying false images on Syria – the images were from Lebanon. Similarly Al Jazeera ran a story on an incident that took place in Al Baida Village, Syria whereas in reality the video was taken in Iraq in the 1990s.
* All international media ran, “Massacre of the children as Syrian forces hit rebels”. The BBC used a 2003 photo taken in Iraq to illustrate the massacre in Houla, Syria. – http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=20039
* Girl supposedly attacked by Syrian troops turns out to be a girl beaten up in UK – http://www.sott.net/articles/show/242492-More-media-lies-Girl-beaten-by-Syrian-forces-story-exposed
* The CNN lies exposed – http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7f9_1334141593&comments=1 – The lies of Danny
Returning to Sri Lanka, it is because of these hypocrisies in Western attitude, western actions and western strategies that we do not trust a single proposal, suggestion or welcome any teams on the basis of humanitarian assistance or technical expertise.
We have seen how the West has used their military might, made a puppet of the UN, carry out illegal invasions and how Western owned media have facilitated in fabricating, manipulating and totally deceiving the global public. Can they deny any of these accusations?
Now can the West blame us for doubting their actions or doubt what the mainstream media relays when they have proved beyond doubt that they cannot be trusted?
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