MSM headlines ignore heightened tensions in Syria conflict
The US shot down a Syrian warplane a few days ago, the pilot is currently being “held” by Kurdish forces on the ground. The plane was targeting moderate fighters under American protection, according to the Americans, and bombing terrorists according to the Syrian government.
As a result of this, Russia has ceased cooperation with the US on air-missions over Syrian air-space, and issued several statements which amount to, essentially, an ultimatum.
The Syrian government has written letters to the UNSC and intends to address them soon.
Australia, in what appears to be a panicked “well, this is none of our business” move, has ceased all missions over Syria with immediate effect.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing any of this was happening, given the front pages of Britain’s five major papers all chose to focus a on a collection of non-events and nothing issues:
Considering that media-complicity in spreading anti-Assad and anti-Russian propaganda is a big reason the US-Russia tensions have been allowed to get this bad, that they should stick their heads in the sand when the situation starts to degenerate is unforgivable.
Is this a concerted effort to hide the truth from the public? Or a case of institutional negative panic?
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The Script for the Next Attack 22-27 June (-7 July) When the time is ticking down from the ten days set on the 17 June by Murdoch’s The Times, for May to shape up her Government. Days after 20 June, World Refugee Day, 19-25 June, Refugee Week, also when the moneyed are off enjoying Royal Ascot and the Queen’s Club Championships, both 19-25 June. When the month of Ramadan is nearing the end, 24 June. When the calm of anger towards the Muslim (Finsbury Park, Grenfell Tower), advances before the storm. The dilemma, quandary or bind faced by the anti-Muslim contingent over direct action being condemned is resolved in a third force, of the Government instituting interment, detention, or trial with due process. They are then relieved of their competing psychological processes and can either join the authoritarian state directly, a paramilitary gang or live vicariously through the actions of… Read more »
just so insane, no-one’s bothered to comment or rate. seek help.
Now, NATO jets are buzzing a Russian minister’s airplane.
See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40358528.
Note also the deferential tone towards the USA.
Disgraceful BBC coverage – as usual !
Yes there is now clearly a conspiracy of silence by the WMSM regarding Syria and many other US/UK foreign policy issues… How to spot a hot issue which people might have an opinion about in the Guardian? Well for a start there will be no comments allowed and if it appears at all it will appear only briefly and then disappear into the memory hole of the back pages. Readers and commenter’s here at OffG know this all too well. Regarding Syria it’s like all things connected with Russia, hysterics about unsubstantiated sometimes fake news stories. Lots of high profile coverage for negative opinion pieces often dressed up as news stories. What the MSM don’t admit is that the public are much more savvy than they ever give them credit for. Snap election anyone? And then there’s the patronising alternative news approach to domestic and world news at the Guardian… Read more »
The “thin gruel” of a Queen’s Speech – https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/21/tory-dup-deal-possible-says-damian-green-ahead-of-queens-speech ?
That really is important to the UK mass media – not the possibility of WW3 starting accidentally in Syria !
With regard to the MSM when they openly lie, insinuate or smear, it is bad enough, but this is more than matched by the sin of omission: a deafening silence on issues for which they have no believable response. The great Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtuschenko put it succinctly:
‘‘When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie. … ”
I think omission is perhaps the most frequently used tool of propaganda. The most egregious recent omissions have been the true voices of the majority of Syrians in Syria who remain in and fled to government held areas. The voices that are in conflict with western policy are always silenced or distorted even when they are clearly the vast majority.
Check the Guardian site today.
Apparently there’s a towel shortage for a nude bathing event in Australia.
No mention of Syria in the headlines but this “very important” news of towel shortage merits space in the front pages…incredible.
I read pilot rescued, and now in hospital recovering.
Also 3 US soldiers killed in Syria.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HOt9U_Qs5I
The Australian Government wins gold at the Olympic Lickspittle event.
I think the MSM have degenerated, tied themselves up within such an absurd level of doublethink and blatant propagandising concerning the conflict in Syria that even they now realise, to continue along such lines would just highlight the absurd hypocrisy and inherent fallacy of their position. The blatant abuse and disregard for international law currently being perpetrated by the US is just no longer rationally excusable, so best just to ignore it.
It could also be argued that the UK general election and the ability of a candidate (Jeremy Corybn) to garner so much support, in the face of such a concerted, relentless and ugly attack by the MSM has now led that media to question its supposed inherent ability and presumed privileged position of shaping the public consensus. Syria has become so complicated, best just to ignore it!
Western media blew its credibility over the ways in which they reported the situations in Aleppo and Mosul.
Almost identical situations yet totally different coverages.
Of course, not everyone is capable of perceiving the different treatments.
Many people are so used to consuming confirmatory rubbish that they lose the ability to think for themselves.
However, even the most thoroughly mind-washed individuals will see such differences if pointed out to them.
Whenever I compared and contrasted the media “treatment” with friends, they “got it” after a few moments.
I believe the lies and omissions in MSM about the war on Syria have been a watershed. People already angry about the proven falsehoods propagated to justify the illegal destruction and occupation of Iraq were more open to consider they were not being told the truth or the whole truth and many went looking for and found different narratives, including from some brave individuals who went into Syria and asked questions of many of those millions under government protection and who witnessed defining events such as the liberation of Aleppo. BTL comments added to those asking questions. The war on Syria has also exposed the faux anti war and ‘humanitarians’ who support the Palestinian cause but deserted and vilified Syrians under attack trying to save their country, culture and society. It was all about Assad… the negation of millions of Syrians views, situation and suffering is for me unforgivable. Those… Read more »
The very latest development is that the Americans have shot down an Iranian-supplied drone in Southern Syria.
The location is close to the border with Jordan, though it still took place within Syrian air space.
Apparently, the Russians have now suspended all hotline telephone contacts over Syria with the USA.
You’d have thought the global media would have noticed that development, wouldn’t you?
“You’d have thought the global media would have noticed that development, wouldn’t you?” MSM cannot cover these developments properly because US led coalition is acting completely against international law. I also wonder if the UK government wish to keep events quiet so they have the option of joining a possible larger war under the guise of TINA as it all happened ‘so suddenly’, no time for even parliamentary debate? US led coalition has no legitimacy to be in Syria at all and has been targeting SAA and defending Isis and other terror groups for weeks. http://journal-neo.org/2017/06/20/washington-crossed-the-red-line-in-syria/ Besides, there is a pressing domestic narrative to control in UK. For me it just emphases what a useless and pointless body the UN has become in protecting the Geneva convention and international law. Has there been one UN call for US coalition to cease all operations in Syria? After all they are illegal.… Read more »
Your comments raise the interesting question as to why Russia has not itself asked the UN to condemn the actions of the US in supporting the actions of known terrorists?
Russia has repeatedly condemned US coalition actions when striking SAA and stated some of it’s actions aid the terrorists in the SC.
You have not answered my question.
Why has Russia not put motions before the UNSC and/or UNGA calling for universal condemnation of any regime which supports terrorist forces attacking de facto regimes?
Why has it not singled out the USA for condemnation for supporting terrorists?
Does anyone know the answer to this question?
I cannot answer your question because I don’t know whether Russia has put such a motion or not.
I have a vague recollection (or dream?) the Syrian Arab Republic has put something of that nature forward though but cannot be certain. Syria is of course the sovereign nation we are speaking about. Russia is there at Syrian government request.
Why would Russia put motions before the UN Security Council to condemn the US attacks on the Syrian fighter jet and the Iranian drone in Syria when the Russians know the US, the UK and France, along with several temporary UNSC members, would veto the motions?
In presenting a motion of condemnation – supported by Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran – it would expose globally the role of external actors in fueling the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and elsewhere in Asia on the part of countries such as the US, UK, France and Israel. If the US, UK and France retaliate by exercising vetoes individually / collectively, their complicity in assaulting the sovereignty of legitimate nation-states such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria is exposed for all to see. This will make it harder for them to continue leading an axis of evil strategy which countenances the use of terrorist groups in the promotion of their own foreign policy goals. The support of terrorist strategies by the evil US and its evil allies can only be challenged by countries such as Russia, Iraq, Syria and Iran exposing the hypocrisy of “western” regimes such that… Read more »
We have a very minority government acting in the shadows. Foreign policy is now conducted largely in secret and with zero parliamentary or public oversight. These are very dangerous times and there are no adults in the rooms of power and as we are seeing with the Grenfell horror, there is no accontability. I noticed this just now and it makes me very uncomfortable… WikiLeaks… “We are creating a powerful new media entity in the UK. Please suggest journalists to hire and outfits to partner with.” https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/877156787736236032 Is this the latest way to control what the (dissenting) public have access to? I note also that Owen Jones is one suggestion on the thread… dear heavens! I know Pilger and Murray condone WikiLeaks but I am not so confident as them, perhaps I am becoming a victim of cynicism? WL stands way above the likes of Greenwald, DemcracyNow! Young Turks etc.… Read more »
I think that’s unfair to AE911Truth. Of course they haven’t “gone for the jugular” as many would wish – in terms of following up the many other avenues (including especially the clear “no planes” evidence which is the single most powerful proof of an inside job – though this is denied even by many “truthers”).
Nonetheless, it is primarily the dogged persistence of AE911Truth that has kept the issue alive at all in the USA and their decision to focus on what can be proven scientifically, especially with WTC7, does make sense. I say this as someone who does not accept the adequacy of the nano-thermite argument.
By comparison, the struggle for the truth about 7/7 is now virtually non-existent.
It is both, of course. We saw last week, f.e. some of the survivors of the Grenfell tower talking in prime time about how their friends and families were basically murdered for being poor by the same people that always find the money for wars abroad (there is a particular example from the BBC that is an excellent testimony). After the terrorist attacks of last month the idea of blowback and the obvious sponsorship of Britain to the most murderous regimes and groups were introduced into the political discourse for the first time and not only that, they became immensely popular. After Corbyn´s surge the government is all stitched up, it is against the ropes, it just keeps getting deeper in their manure. My guess is that the plan is to keep it quiet, so that if we all burn giving our lives in defense of islamofascists in Syria (intervention… Read more »