Like other major media scoundrels, New York Times writers, op-ed
commentators and editorials fail the test. They're biased, shameless
and irresponsible, especially on issues of war and peace.
Times tradition dates from 1896 when Ochs-Sulzberger family members
took control. Thereafter, it's played the lead print role
distorting, censoring, and suppressing truth and full disclosure.
Its shameful record includes:
supporting wealth and power interests;
backing corporate interests against popular ones mattering most;
cheerleading imperial wars;
ducking major issues like government and corporate crimes, sham
elections, America's duopoly power, an unprecedented wealth gap, and
lost civil liberties and social benefits; and
backing regime change in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya,
Iran and Syria, mindless of international laws prohibiting it.
The record of the "newspaper of record" produces misinformation
masquerading as real news, information and opinion. Its slogan "All
The News That's Fit to Print" fails on truth and full disclosure.
Its war against Iran is longstanding. Against Syria, it's more
recent. It promotes regime change in both countries. On January 31,
Times writer Rick Gladstone attacked them in his article headlined,
"As Syria Wobbles Under Pressure, Iran Feels the Weight of an
Alliance," saying:
Pro-Western anti-Assad insurgents increased "pressure on (him) to
step down...." As a result, "his main Middle East supporter, also
finds itself under siege, undermining a once-powerful partnership
and longtime American foe."
If Assad falls, "Tehran would lose its conduit for providing
military, financial, and logistical support to Hezbollah in Lebanon
and Hamas in Gaza." Both Israeli opposition groups "considered
terrorist organizations by Washington, have vast arsenals of rockets
and other weapons."
No evidence corroborates anti-Iran/Syria/Hezbollah/Hamas
accusations. Ignored are sovereign country rights, international
law, Lebanon's legitimate Hezbollah-led government, and Hamas'
democratically elected Palestine one.
Neither espouses terrorism. Nor do Iran and Syria. In contrast,
Washington and Israel pose grave terror threats. Both are nuclear
armed and dangerous. They threaten preemptive strikes against
invented threats. Neither has real ones.
Not according to Times-think. It stokes fear to promote conflict and
regime change lawlessly.
Numerous articles and opinion pieces promote Washington's imperial
agenda. In 2011, Libya was target one. Before that Afghanistan and
Iraq. Now it's Iran and Syria.
On January 31, Times writer Neil MacFarquhar headlined, "At UN,
Pressure Is on Russia for Refusal to Condemn Syria," saying:
Both sides "skirmished over a draft Security Council resolution
proposed by Morocco (serving Washington) that calls for (Assad) to
leave power as the first step of a transition toward democracy."
Ignored were international law issues. Among others, the 1933
Montevideo Convention explicitly prohibits interfering in the
internal affairs of other countries. So does the UN Charter. Nations
doing so are criminally culpable. None are more guilty than
Washington, Israel, and rogue NATO partners. In contrast, Iran and
Syria threaten no one.
Yet MacFarquhar blamed Russia for blocking Security Council actions.
In fact, Moscow’s resolute against Washington replicating its Libya
model. Various language revisions left considerable wiggle room for
war.
Russia's determined to prevent it. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said "Russia will not support anything that is imposed on Syria." He
firmly opposes anti-Assad resolutions. He called replicating
"another Libya" disastrous. China's view is similar. Both have
Security Council veto power. Lavrov promised to use it.
He and others also assailed Syria's externally generated insurgency.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr-al Thani
spuriously blamed Assad's "fail(ure) to make any serious effort to
cooperate with us."
Syrian Observers Report
It contradicts al Thani. It called many of the 166 team members too
old and/or too ill for their task. Mission head General Mohammed
Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi praised Assad's cooperation. He also said:
"Regrettably, some observers thought that their visit to Syria was
for pleasure. In some instances, experts who were nominated were not
qualified for the job, did not have prior experience, and were not
able to (fulfill their) responsibility."
On January 18, Arab League Secretary-General General Nabil Elaraby
suspended their mission. He said violence undermined it, dismissing
the competence issue al-Dabi raised and reports about about Assad's
cooperation.
He also ignored a "confidential account of the League's mission."
Turtle Bay obtained it. It shows monitors lacked proper staff and
equipment. As a result, their mission was undermined from inception.
On January 30, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov
insisted that Security Council members are briefed on its findings.
Washington and rogue allies dismissed them out of hand. They call
Arab League efforts a failure, saying their report adds nothing new.
One conclusion recommends Arab governments continue mediating for
peaceful conflict resolution. Al-Dabi wrote:
"The mission....sensed the acute stress, injustice and oppression
endured (by) Syrian citizens. Yet they are convinced that the Syrian
crisis must be resolved peacefully, in the Arab context, and not
internationalized so that they can live in peace securely, and
achieve the desired reforms and changes."
He also sharply criticized the ineptness and indifference of mission
observers. He recommended reinforcing them with 100 more members,
"preferabl(y) young with military background(s), 30 armored
vehicles, protective vests, vehicle mounted cameras, and night
vision binoculars."
In addition, he said:
"It should be stressed (that) performance shortcomings will be
addressed and remedied with further practice and guidance, God
Willing."
He stressed no mission mandate for addressing a widening conflict,
pitting heavily armed insurgents against Assad's government. In Homs
and Daraa, for example, opposition elements used "thermal bombs and
anti-armor missiles" supplied by foreign governments.
Al-Dabi said "The mission was witness to acts of violence against
government forces and citizens leading to death and injury of many.
A case in point was the attack against a civilian bus which killed
eight persons and injured others, including women and children."
Foreign insurgents were responsible. The Times and other Western
media scoundrels quoted monitor Anwar Walek's reason for quitting
the team. He called the mission a "farce," saying:
"What I saw was a humanitarian disaster. The regime is not just
committing one war crime, but a series of crimes against its people.
The snipers are everywhere shooting at civilians. People are being
kidnapped. Prisoners are being tortured and none were released."
In response, al-Dabi said "Malek did not leave the hotel for six
days and did not go out with the rest of the team into the field
giving the excuse that he was sick."
In other words, he saw nothing and lied. Media scoundrels
regurgitated it. It's standard practice, supporting lawless US
imperialism against nonbelligerent countries.
Washington and rogue partners accused Assad of manipulating the
monitoring mission to gain time to crush armed insurgents. Al-Dabi
disagreed, saying their mission's vital to Syria's stability,
adding:
"Any termination of the work of the mission after this short term
will undermine the positive results - even if incomplete - that have
been achieved so far. This may result in complete chaos on the
ground (if) parties are neither qualified nor ready for the
political process which aims at resolving the Syrian crisis."
He, Assad, and most Syrians want peaceful resolution. Washington,
rogue allies, and major media scoundrels promote war and regime
change.
Civilians, of course, always suffer most and have grievously since
early 2011. Washington and complicit allies share blame.
Assad's unfairly condemned for their crimes. Don't expect NYT
writers, op-ed commentaries and editorials to explain. Truth and
full disclosure's not their long suit.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the
Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network
Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon.
All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/. |