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Aleppo Doctor Attacks Western Media for Bias, Censorship and Lies

by Vanessa Beeley, for 21st Century Wire

When the US and NATO war of aggression was launched against Syria,  Dr Nabil Antaki could have abandoned Aleppo to ensure his own safety.  Instead he decided to remain and to serve the besieged people of his city, working with various local charities.  Above all, he wanted to bear witness to the destruction caused by Western support for the foreign armed groups who have been systematically destroying Syria and terrorising its people for the last 5 years.
Yesterday [April 29] Silvia Cattori recorded this report from Dr Antaki on the recent amplification of propaganda surrounding events in Aleppo.  It has been translated from the French by Vanessa Beeley.
Aleppo-photo-Samer-Hussein

Victim of Al Nusra mortar fire in western Aleppo. Photo: Samer Hussein

“With regards to recent events in Aleppo, I state very clearly that the mainstream media are lying by omission.  Since the beginning of the war in Aleppo that began 4 years ago, they have consistently failed to report all the facts.
All of us here in Aleppo are disgusted by their lack of impartiality and objectivity.  They only ever talk about the loss of life in the east of Aleppo which is entirely controlled by Al Nusra, a terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda. These are their “moderate rebels” a title that affords them an unmerited degree of respectability.

Aleppo_28_4.jpg
Aleppo, April 28, 2016

This same media remains silent on the daily losses and suffering endured in the Western areas of Aleppo living under the rain of mortar fire from these terrorist factions.  The media never mentions the terrorist blockade upon our people or the electricity cuts and water shortages inflicted upon us by their “moderate rebels.”
This media never mention the continuous bombardment and the carnage we have witnessed in western Aleppo where every single sector has been targeted.  On a daily basis we see dozens of people murdered.
collage-aleppo
What makes these omissions even more despicable is that these areas represent 75% of Aleppo and there are 1.5 million people living in them.  Compare this to the 300,000 living in the eastern zone which is occupied by terrorist groups.
This twisted narrative engenders the belief that these terrorist groups that are attacking us are actually the victims.  Even more abhorrent, these media have distorted our “Save Aleppo” appeal, to make it look as if we are calling for Assad and the Syrian Army to cease hostilities!
This is FALSE. Added to which, they are not “Assad’s forces“, they are the national forces of the regular Syrian army that is defending the Syrian State.
The western and gulf media could at least have had the decency to mention the terrorist massacres of our people. For example, on Friday 30th April, when one of their mortars targeted a mosque at prayer time.
Aleppo-terror-attacks
The attacks and losses we suffer are reported in a way that leaves the public in the dark about the true perpetrators of these crimes.
For three days now, these media outlets have been accusing the “Assad regime” of bombing an MSF hospital [Medecins sans Frontieres] to the east of Aleppo and of killing the last paediatrician in the city.  This demonstrates that, for these media, the only priority is this pocket of the city where terrorists are embedded.
The three quarters of Aleppo under Syrian Government control where numerous paediatricians are practicing is of no consequence for this media.  We witnessed the same bias when Al Kindi, the biggest hospital in Aleppo, was targeted by terrorist mortars and then intentionally burnt down about 2 or 3 years ago. The media ignored this criminal act.
al-kindi
We are disheartened and disgusted by this continuous disinformation.”
Nabil Antaki
April 30, 2016
 
 
 
 

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Empire Of Stupid
Empire Of Stupid
May 2, 2016 4:19 PM

Hmm. One the one hand, we have a doctor who lives and works at ground zero. On the other hand, we have Bellingcat, who lives and works in Leicester.

LES
LES
May 2, 2016 11:44 AM

20 years ago before the internet, blogs and so on, the MSM had an easy ride manipulating public opinion because the number of media channels was extremely limited and easily controllable. Now, every computer is potentially a news channel. Th truth cannot be suppressed to the extent that it was before and will out.

Seamus Padraig
Seamus Padraig
May 2, 2016 3:40 PM
Reply to  LES

I agree. If there’s any reason for optimism at all these days, the existence of the internet is it. We have nearly unlimited access to information, as well as a true diversity of opinion all at our fingertips. I just hope that governments don’t find some way to control/co-opt the internet someday, as they have with all the other media out there.

John
John
May 2, 2016 11:34 PM
Reply to  Seamus Padraig

They will, either directly – by making it a criminal offense to tell the truth – or indirectly – by suppressing electronically all alternative media outlets. George Orwell’s year of 1984 has already passed!

Chris
Chris
May 7, 2016 8:33 PM
Reply to  John

Orwell’s original title was ‘1948’, but his publishers wouldn’t wear it.

Oddlots
Oddlots
May 2, 2016 3:25 AM

Enraging. The degree of media control is indicated by the degree of inversion of the truth. The “right to victimize” masquerades as a “right to protect.” In other words, it’s complete except for those with eyes to see.
It is horrifying enough from afar. The doctor’s clear-headed testimony in the midst of it shows a superhuman restraint.