BBC Ignores or Underplays Syria's Brutality

[Teddy Bear]

Looking at the BBC Mid-East website today it was odd to see nothing of any fresh violence in Syria, considering killings of protesters there by Syrian forces has been a daily event since it started in March. So I googled it and found this article from midday today by CNN.

Hail of bullets strikes Syrians fleeing to Turkey
By Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert, CNN
September 6, 2011 -- Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT)

Turkish Foreign Ministry: At least 330 Syrians fled Monday through an old border checkpoint at the Turkish village of Belengoz
Activists claim Syrian security forces launched a fresh wave of military operations in areas close to the Turkish border

Istanbul (CNN) -- A deadly hail of bullets struck Syrian refugees as they tried to flee across the border to Turkey on Monday, killing one man and wounding another, the Turkish government said Tuesday.
"Yesterday there was a bunch of people trying to cross the border to Turkey," said a Turkish Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity according to diplomatic protocol. "While one of the groups tried to pass, there were shots fired from the Syrian side, I assume from the Syrian soldiers... two people were shot, one died on the Syrian side of the border, and (his body) was also carried with a wounded guy to the Turkish side."

A video emerging on YouTube showed an apparently dead man lying on the floor with blood leaking from his head. Off camera, a man says in Arabic "they shot him, the snipers." The video identified the victim as Abdul Salam Hasoon.
The description of the incident and the name of the victim were both confirmed by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"He was killed by snipers from the Syrian side while he was crossing the border," wrote the Observatory's Mousab Azzawi, in an e-mail to CNN.

According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, at least 330 Syrians fled on Monday through an old border checkpoint at the Turkish village of Belengoz.
Several Turkish residents living in the nearby Turkish border village of Guvecci told CNN they heard gunfire from the direction of Belengoz on Monday.

The latest movement of fleeing Syrians comes after opposition activists claimed Syrian security forces launched a fresh wave of military operations in areas close to the Turkish border.
The Turkish diplomat said the wounded refugee was rushed to treatment and is now in stable condition in a Turkish hospital.

Throughout the uprising and subsequent government crackdown in Syria, more than seventeen thousand Syrians have fled across the border to Turkey, according to statistics published by the Turkish disaster and management directorate.

A growing number of exiled activists have operated out of Turkey, which has also hosted a number of opposition meetings and conferences.

In a separate online video emerging from Syria, a group of uniformed men identifying themselves as defecting soldiers claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on fellow Syrian security forces on Monday.

Flanked by eleven men in army uniforms holding Kalashnikov rifles, a man identified himself in the video as Lieutenant Zahir Abdul Karim Fraiter of the 7th Division of the Syrian armed forces.
"I have seen with my own eyes the massacres committed by the corrupt regime," Fraiter said.

Fraiter then claimed responsibility for killing security forces and pro-government shabiha militia-men near the town of Maharda.
On Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported that six army officers and three "civilian employees" were killed after an "armed terrorist group set an ambush at the crossroads of Salhab-Khatab near the town of Maharda... opening fire with machine guns at a military bus converying a number of officers."

In the video, Fraiter said the attack on government forces in Maharda was retaliation, for a military operation against the village of Maarat Hirma and the killed of a political activist named Abdul Samad Issa.

CNN cannot independently verify these claims, because the Syrian government has repeatedly denied requests for journalists to report inside Syria.

The only mention of Turkey involves Israel (who else), and Turkey suspending defence ties with Israel for not apologising for what happened on the Mavi Marmara a year ago. Why any credibility should be given to Turkey, whose activists purposefully flouted international law with the express intent of causing an international incident is beyond me, especially as evidence exists to show those on this ship started the violence first. If anybody should apologise it should be Turkey, and in my opinion it's better the gloves come off rather than continue a sham.

On Syria, the only article offered is this one from yesterday with the headline International Red Cross visits Syrian prison

I know which stories from any moral and ethical standpoint based on the values of our society deserve mention, which is why the BBC, lacking in both, chooses those it does.

[Teddy Bear]

37 Protesters were killed by government forces in Syria today after they had been calling for the downfall of the government. This brings the total killed there since March to over 3000.

So what's the fitting headline the BBC comes up with to match this incident?

Syria protesters call for no-fly zone

Disgraceful!

[Teddy Bear]

For the last hour, this story has been reported by Associated Press. I've been refreshing the BBC Mid-East page to see when or if they would be reporting anything on it. So far nothing!

Activists: Deadly attacks in Homs kill at least 20
BEIRUT (AP) — Machine-gun fire and explosions erupted inside a Syrian city at the heart of the country's uprising Wednesday as activists reported two grisly attacks that killed at least 20 people in the past 24 hours.

The Syrian opposition's two main activist groups said gunmen attacked factory workers in the village of Houla on Wednesday, killing 11 people. Majd Amer, an activist in Homs, said some of the men were decapitated and others shot in the head, their hands tied behind their backs.

Amateur videos posted online showed the men, bound and gagged, lying on the ground.

The killing spree amounted to a "massacre," said the activist groups, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees activist network.

The wave of violence apparently started late Tuesday.

So what is the BBC lead Mid-East story?
Israeli settlements condemned by European states
Western countries have criticised an Israeli decision to accelerate settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Needless to say there's nothing in the article to clarify the fact that the Palestinians who still deny the right of Israel to remain as a Jewish state, and negotiate for a peaceful settlement which would give them a finite territory, instead tried to use the UN as the medium to achieve their goals. So Israel continues to build.

The West is aware of the real issues surrounding this conflict, but each prefers to make points with the Islamic world by continuing to vilify Israel for the lack of peace in this area.

As far as the UK is concerned, at least that depending on the BBC for its 'awareness', Syrian deaths due to a corrupt and depraved regime do not exist.

I wonder how the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights feel about the lack of attention the BBC are giving to this matter.

[Teddy Bear]

1 minute ago the BBC put this on their Mid-East webpage
Syria accepts Arab League peace plan after Cairo talks

But no mention of the Syrians killed today in this article. Unlike this article from AFP which tells both parts of the story. Syria regime 'fully accepts' Arab peace plan

[Teddy Bear]

Finally the BBC produces an article to tell of the deaths today in Syria.
The only thing is, much like they do when reporting on conflicts not far away from here, where attacks on Israel are sidelined in favour of those on Palestinians, the slaughter of the factory workers has been relegated to the latter part of the article, with those on Assad's forces made the headline.

Syria army deserters 'kill 15 security personnel'

Fifteen members of the Syrian security forces and pro-government gunmen have been killed by army defectors, according to a UK-based rights group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven soldiers died when a bomb hit an army convoy in Hama province.

Eight security personnel and loyalist gunmen were killed in a second attack in the same area, it added.

Any doubt who the BBC are trying to impress with their partisanship? Only lower down are we told

Peace plan
An Observatory official said the central cities of Homs and Hama were being surrounded by tanks, and deserters have been trying to create a "safe passage" for civilians to get out for medical treatment and for food to get in.

The attacks came after gunmen stormed a factory in Homs, according to activists. They said 11 factory workers were killed in what appeared to be a brutal attack in the Houla district on Wednesday. Amateur video showed the bodies, bound and gagged, lying on the floor.

Meanwhile, security forces shot dead eight civilians in several Homs neighbourhoods, the Observatory said.

[Teddy Bear]

My surprise today opening Yahoo and seeing the main BBC Mid-East Headliner Syria unrest: Tanks 'open fire' in Homs.
So after pinching myself to check I was not dreaming, I thought there's got to be something more to this.
I looked at the AP newsfeed for Yahoo and saw this headline Syrian tanks fire despite Arab League deal; 4 dead

While when reading the BBC article one eventually gets the information that Syria has defied the previous day's Arab League deal, and that people were killed by these 'Firing Tanks', do you think the headline used could have been clearer bearing in mind the main elements of this story?

I also wondered how the Arab League deal will modify future BBC reporting on events in Syria. After all, we know the BBC priority is to appease the one it considers the most important to its own agenda, regardless of merit to the values of our society.

So long as the licence fee is compulsory, this priority sure ain't to those paying for it.

[Teddy Bear]

The news on Syria today from AP is that

Syria peace plan unravels; 15 killed in protests
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY - Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian peace plan brokered by the Arab League unraveled Friday as security forces killed 15 people, opening fire on thousands of protesters who denounced President Bashar Assad and said he never intended to hold up his end of the deal to end the violence.
The bloodshed, only two days after Syria agreed to the deal, suggests Damascus is unwilling — or unable — to put a swift end to a crackdown that already has killed 3,000 people since the uprising began in March.
"This regime is not serious about ending its brutal crackdown," said Mustafa Osso, a Syria-based human rights lawyer. "Today was a real test for the intentions of the regime and the answer is clear to everyone who wants to see."

The article goes on with more details and salient points, including -

The violence was a blow to the 22-nation Arab League, which announced Wednesday that Damascus had agreed to a broad peace plan that also called for the Syrian government to pull tanks and armored vehicles out of cities, release political prisoners and allow journalists and rights groups into the country.
Officials from the Cairo-based Arab League could not be reached for comment Friday, the start of a holiday weekend.
The plan presented flaws at the outset, in part because it did not provide for any repercussions if the regime reneges on its commitments. There also was no mention of any on-the-ground monitoring to supervise the regime's actions.

So the story is as one has understood it - The Arab League brokered a deal with Assad to end the violent crackdowns on protesters, and Assad has treated it with contempt by totally ignoring it, and continuing as before, killing more protesters. It seems to be written by somebody who is as appalled by the Syrian regime as any moral civilized being would be.

So what does the BBC tell us? Before we read today's article from them, let's have a look at yesterday's, just to make sure we're on the 'same page' so to speak. It tells us

Tanks with machine-guns have opened fire in the Syrian city of Homs, killing at least 20 people, activists have reported.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Baba Amr district came under heavy fire on Thursday.

Violence was also reported in other parts of the city.

It comes a day after the authorities in Damascus agreed to an Arab League plan calling on the government to pull the military out of cities.

The plan required Syria to withdraw all troops from urban areas and end all killing immediately.

The Arab League said Damascus had agreed to release all political prisoners and begin a dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

The Syrian government also said it would allow journalists, rights groups and Arab League representatives to monitor the situation in the country.

So it's pretty similar to what we understand from the AP article
However in today's article about the violence we get this

Syria: Homs military attacks continue, say activists

Syrian military forces have resumed attacks in the city of Homs, activists say, despite agreeing to withdraw from urban areas under an Arab League deal.

Tanks have been shelling parts of the city, and medics at the main hospital told the BBC more than 100 bodies had arrived in the past two days.

Activists say at least nine people have been killed in protests in Homs and other cities on Friday.

Wednesday's Arab League deal had called for an end to suppression of protests.

On Friday, Syrian state TV did announce an amnesty for anti-government fighters.

"The interior ministry invites those who carry arms, who sold them, distributed them, bought them or financed their purchase and who have not committed any murder to turn themselves in and surrender their weapons to the nearest police station," it said.

Is it just me or does it appear as this is to show that Syria is 'mostly complying with the deal by offering this bullshit 'amnesty'. Yeah 'turn in your weapons so we can continue slaughtering you without you being able to retaliate'. It galls me that the BBC can report this with a straight face.

'Machinegun fire'
Homs has been a focus of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising against him began in March.

Local human rights groups report continued military operations against opposition strongholds, including artillery bombardments of residential areas.

The killings over the past two days have mostly been in the Baba Amr district. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights group said the area had been "raked with heavy machinegun fire" on Friday, with a number of deaths.

It also reported that troops had opened fire in the city's Ghuta neighbourhood, killing two civilians and wounding four.

One protester was also killed by troops in the town of Kanaker, outside Damascus, the Observatory said.

One Kanaker resident told Reuters by telephone: "Lots of people fell on the ground with bullet wounds and we are afraid some will not make it."

Journalists are unable to move around freely in Syria and information is hard to verify independently.

Protests have also been reported in Damascus, Hama, Latakia, Deraa, Deir el-Zour and other smaller cities.

The Arab League announced on Wednesday that the Syrian government had agreed to begin a dialogue with the opposition within two weeks.

Officials in Damascus said they would release all political prisoners and allow journalists and rights groups to monitor the situation.

Opposition groups in Syria accused Mr Assad's government of trying to buy itself time.

France on Friday said Syria was breaking its promises to the Arab League.

French foreign ministry deputy spokesman Romain Nadal said: "The continuing repression can only strengthen the international community's doubts about the Syrian regime's sincerity to implement the Arab League peace plan."

The final inclusion that France thinks Syria is breaking its promise - what's that about? Everybody KNOWS IT! Also the French spokesman gives us about as much an understatement as one could imagine. 'Strengthen doubts about Syria's sincerity to uphold the deal'? There's NO DOUBT - Syria has proved it.

[Teddy Bear]

Often, it's seeing how another media outlet covers a story, that shows just how blatantly twisted is the BBC narrative, doing its best to conceal the truth.

This story has been running for a few hours now by AP

6 soldiers among dead; Syria weighing observers

BEIRUT (AP) — Armed clashes erupted in Syria Sunday, killing at least 15 civilians and six government troops, activists said. Isolated and faced with a possible civil war, Syria appeared to be bending toward allowing Arab League observers in as a step toward ending the conflict.
The Al-Arabiya TV channel said it had information from the Qatari prime minister that Syrian President Bashar Assad will sign an observer deal but gave no further details. Last month Syria agreed to an Arab League plan but balked at its implementation.
The foreign minister of Oman, speaking to reporters ahead of a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Saudi Arabia, also said Sunday he is "optimistic" that Syria will sign the protocol within 24 hours "and save the Arab world from foreign intervention."
The Arab League has given Syria until Wednesday to sign a protocol to allow observers into the country, or else it will likely turn to the U.N. Security Council for action to try to end the deadly violence against regime opponents.
Syria's state-run news agency SANA quoted Assad Sunday as saying in front of an Iraqi delegation that Syria has "dealt positively with proposals presented because it's in (Syria's) interest for the world to know what is happening in Syria."
Syria has in the past said it would accept to have the monitors but then placed conditions that were rejected by the Arab League.

There's more to the article but one sees in the first few paragraphs the important and relevant points that show what is going on there.

Despite hours passing since AP reported today's deaths, the only article showing on the BBC website is this one from yesterday. Even without today's deaths, notice the contrast in the opening lines.

Syria crisis: Iraq's Falah Fayadh 'positive' on talks

An Iraqi delegation led by National Security adviser Falah al-Fayadh says it has held "positive" talks in Syria aimed at ending the violence there.

Mr Fayadh was trying to broker a deal based on Arab League proposals, and said he would update the group at a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Syria's main opposition group held a conference in Tunisia.

The Syrian National Council is trying to present itself as a government-in-waiting set to replace Bashar al-Assad.

Pressure is mounting on the Syrian president to end the violence that the UN says has taken more than 5,000 lives since March.

Widespread anti-government protests encouraged by the Arab Spring triggered a harsh crackdown that has brought regional and international condemnation.

But after months of bloodshed and no sign of the regime falling, some Syrians have taken up arms in a bid to remove President Assad.

Security forces killed at least 24 people on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, most of them in the central province of Homs, a centre of anti-government protests.

The Local Co-ordination Committees, a group which organises and documents anti-government protests, said 40 people were killed, including eight former soldiers killed in clashes with the Syrian army.

It continues on, but notice how far down the article one gets before the most important aspects to the goings on in that country - at least 24 more have died yesterday - and there's nothing POSITIVE about that - despite the headline. With all the talks and meetings and opinions of everyone being quoted - the deaths go on on a daily basis, and the BBC do their best to conceal that fact.