Our evidence for how mainstream media is spreading propaganda and lying to you about Aleppo

Let’s debunk some stories that were the result of copy-paste journalism and propaganda. Here are some of the misconceptions, lies, and half truths — as well as a competing list of things we do know.

• There are groups who are filming fake rescue videos and bombing videos for nefarious reasons. One of these groups was caught in Egypt.
• Do you remember the story of the revolution singer that was forced to pull his throat out by Assad? What if we tell you he is alive and seeking political asylum in Europe?
• You heard rebels are protecting citizens in east aleppo. Here’s an interview of a family that escaped and recounts the horror, and here’s another one about how the rebels were hoarding aid as civilians starved. Here’s another one showing how rebels treated pro-regime civilians. And this one which shows rebels used civilians as human shields.
• You heard about the White Helmets as the saviors of humanity. Here’s a few sources showing evidence of them staging a rescue video and more about their shadowy existence: here, here, here, here.
• One of the sad faces you saw leaving a last message is not a journalist from East Aleppo but someone who has worked with al-Qaeda: Bilal Abdul Karim. This drew sharp criticism from many Arab reporters.
• Articles from Al Arabiya, Thomson Reuters Foundation, BBC, NBC, Sky, Wall Street Journal have quote the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights but do you know it’s a one man-band from UK and has been mired in controversy? What is the governance of this Observatory?
• Did you see the video of a rebel instructing his two daughters to blow themselves up? So much for “the moderate rebels”. Please note that this video is very distressing.
• You heard the rebels were protecting children and orphans were begging to be left behind in East Aleppo in this emotional video shared by NPR, CNN & others. Well here’s a video of a ‘moderate rebel’ that is asking the children to be lined next to the bullet so that he can bomb citizens in West Aleppo and instructs the children to cry when the army responds with a bomb. Here’s an interview of a doctor who stayed in Aleppo and recounts the attacks by Al Nusra and rebels on West Aleppo. Here’s a family elated to be back in the government controlled area. And this one which shows rebels used civilians as human shields.
• Sadly, some of the NGOs in the humanitarian sector have also been complicit in publishing fake news or misinformed statement. A good example is Medicine Sans Frontiers where they release statements based on the reports from East Aleppo. At the same time, they have refused to work in West Aleppo. This open letter lays out all the claimed that airstrikes has destroyed their hospital but have refused to serve .
• Remember the innocent girl Bana, called “Aleppo’s Anne Frank” whose twitter account live reports pictures and videos from inside East Aleppo? According to this report, the account is run by someone else neither her dad or mum. And here you can see how Bana and her family is linked with Al Qaeda: here, here, here, here.
• The last hospital: How many times in the last year you heard the last hospital with impression is the last hospital in Aleppo? Have you heard of the hospitals that its been destroyed in west Aleppo that none of the activists against regime in Aleppo deprecate? ( pics and articles)
• Main stream media has been complicit before. Here’s an account of how a film set was created for Tripoli (Libya) in Qatar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuvLEIZFEW8
• There is a way to use media to create mass hysteria: A Pro-EU think tank said Russia and Syria were colluding with refugees to create mass sex attacks on European women.

At this point you’re probably wondering how you can distinguish between propaganda news and real news.

Here are some things that we do know to be true.

• The White Helmets: Started by a former British soldier and now a Nobel Prize contender. They have undoubtedly helped people in East Aleppo but they have also been reports about how they are a money front for the jihadi rebels. They are the only organisation in the world who asked you to support them to win Nobel prize for peace. Did you ever asked yourself why they would do that? Read more here and here.
• West Aleppo: This area is under the control of the regime. It has been attacked many times by the rebels, attacking civilians and businesses. Most of the churches there have been destroyed by the bombs from the ‘moderate rebels’ that are being supplied Arms by the West & Gulf. Not everyone there supports the regime but they are grateful to have the protection of Syrian army against the rebels who have been notorious for hoarding food, kidnappings, executions and religious discrimination. Wanna hear more about West Aleppo? Listen to Dr. Nabil Antaki who stayed behind to tend to the sick: here, here.
• East Aleppo: It’s been taken by different jihadi militia that is been supported by US government and has suffered a lot of destruction. Some of rebel leaders have been on the US terror watch list but they continue to support them. Reuters reported USAID shipments of aid have been found to be hoarded by the rebels while civilians starved. They have been taken east Aleppo, and used it to target the civilian in west Aleppo by bombing gas barrels. How do we know this? We know this because the houses of our friends and family have been damaged, and killed in this. They put West Aleppo under siege, leaving them without food or water. Also, as recent reports have finally shown (local source), they have been stopping civilians from leaving the area.
• The people who sent the last messages: they are activists who lived or moved to east Aleppo. They only tell you their narrow of the stories.
• Is Syria just about sectarianism?: For hundreds of years, Syria was used as an example for how Sunni and Shia muslims, christians, and others can co-exist in harmony. It’s not like that in the Gulf and you should not compare it to it. The media machine funded by Gulf countries focuses on the sectarianism as it serve their war against Iran. This has fueled sectarianism in Syria as it has done in Iraq to create the frictions we see today. The rebels represent the most conservative form of Islam, also known as Wahhabism/Salafism. It becomes the drug that keeps jihadis motivated to go to Syria and fight their against the “Kafer” and the “supporter of Shia” Bashar Al Assad. Notice the timing of the war in Yemen which is again fuelled by the need for Saudi Arabia to dominate their Wahhabism.
• Not all refugees hate and ran away from the regime: If you have only met refugees who tell you horrible stories about the regime, you’re only hearing one side of the situation. We’re not defending the actions of the military or the government where they have violated the rights of people but you can only compare that to other wars. You cannot compare what’s happening in Syria to Denmark. You can compare it to Iraq. A lot of Syrians left the country in fear of Al Qaida, ISIS and from the rebels. Some of them run away just because they saw the war was going to ravage the country so they fled to safety.
• Humanitarian sector: You would think that we should be able to move beyond politics and stand in solidarity with the people of Aleppo. We should not complain if people are sharing videos of people in East Aleppo as the genuine voices deserve to be heard. You would be right had this exact reasoning not led to mass misinformation and legitimisation of foreign powers funding jihadi rebels. If you only protest when people on East Aleppo die and denounce people on the west side of the city that celebrate the fact that they won’t be shelled by rebels — you’re not being neutral; you’re making a political statement. If you campaign to get aid to East of the city and ask UN to severe all talks and aids to the West side of the city, you are prioritising one life over the other. Humanitarian organisations need to move above this. If you’re judging the truth by the amount of people protesting over East Aleppo in the streets then you’re playing right into the hands of jihadi propaganda. Did you hear activists marching on the street against the rebels? The Saudi Embassy? The US embassy? The Qatari embassy? No. You didn’t because it didn’t happen. It only happened in front of the Russian and Syrian embassy.

H & D