Questioning CBC News Coverage About Syria

By Alan Mercer

I think we should question statements made by Western media and governments about the Syrian conflict.  The coverage by the CBC about the chemical weapons attack in Syria this week amounts to biased propaganda.  For example, CBC Radio’s World Report announced (August 24, 2013): “As allegations and counter-charges fly this morning, the world wonders what should or can be done about the Syrian regime . . .”

With this one-sided reporting which purports to speak for “the world”, the public broadcaster implies, with no proof, that the Syrian regime, despite its denials, was guilty of carrying out the attack.

They also leave the impression that the U.S. and other Western governments are not already involved in attempting to topple the Syrian government through their support for the rebels. The public is supposed to assume a saintly role for Western governments.

John Baird, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, in statements to the media, repeatedly hinted that the Syrian government was guilty.  He says “the only end of the suffering of the Syrian people will be a political solution” even though, according to the same report, he needs “more information before coming to a conclusion”.  (cbc.ca:  “Syria chemical attack evidence mounting, John Baird”, 23 August 2013).

In the same article, President Obama grandstands hypocritically as if he would never hurt a fly and as if he is not already involved covertly.  Mr. Drone-Strike talks about putting “pressure on those who would kill innocent civilians.”

If the U.S. and allies go to war against Syria, are they not going to kill many more innocent civilians?!

However, it is already known that the Syrian rebels include groups “linked to al-Qaeda” as even the CBC acknowledges (cbc.ca: “Syria’s civil war: the 5 new issues in the conflict”, 23 August 2013).

Contrary to the impression given by most Western media–and the CBC is just an example of this–the anti-government rebels are known for committing atrocities. Spiegel Online presents an account of mass executions and torture carried out by rebels. Also, according to Spiegel, Human Rights Watch has “condemned” the rebels for such abuses. (Spiegel.de:  “The Burial Brigade of Homs: An Executioner for Syria’s Rebels Tells His Story”, 29 March 2012).

The public need to be aware that in regard to earlier stories of chemical weapons use, Carla Del Ponte, a member of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, in a May 2013 interview on Swiss TV, said that testimony from victims indicated that nerve gas was being used by the rebels (BBC:  “UN’s Del Ponte says evidence Syria rebels ‘used sarin’”, 6 May 2013).   The statement made in the video is very clear and is quite different from the article text.  Quoting approximately, she says:

“. . . We collect some witness testimony that made it appear that some chemical weapons were used, in particular nerving [nerve] gas, and what appeared to our investigation, that was used by the opponents, by the rebels, and we have no indication at all that the . . . Syrian government had used chemical weapons. . . .”