A report by the Independent’s veteran Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk quotes doctors in Douma saying victims suffered from dust inhalation and that a member of the White Helmets caused panic by falsely shouting, “Gas!” in a triage center. The White Helmets were then bused out with other jihadists, as Caitlin Johnstone explains.
By Caitlin Johnstone
We are now being told (and I assure you I am not making this up) that if the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons doesn’t find evidence that the Syrian government conducted a chemical weapons attack in Douma last week, it’s because Russia hid the evidence.
“It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site,” reports U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Ward. “It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation.”
I guess the idea is that this international top-level investigative team on which tremendous credibility has been placed by the western world can be thwarted by Russians showing up with a Hoover and spraying some Febreze in the air like a teenage stoner when mom comes home? I’m not sure, but given the immense dearth of evidence we’ve been seeing in support of the establishment Douma narrative and the mounting pile of evidence contradicting it, it sure does sound fishy.
Now that the jihadist-occupied suburb of Douma has been retaken by the Syrian government, western journalists have been allowed in to poke around and start asking questions, and so far it isn’t looking great for the propaganda machine.
Dust Not Gas
The Independent‘s Robert Fisk has published a report which affirms the story so many westerners have been dismissing as Kremlin propaganda for days now after interviewing a doctor from the hospital of the area where the Douma attack was supposed to have occurred. Dr Assim Rahaibani told Fisk that what was in actuality an outbreak of respiratory distress among occupants of a dusty oxygen-deprived tunnel was made to look like the aftereffects of a chemical weapons attack when a member of the White Helmets started shouting about a gas attack in front of a bunch of video cameras. Everyone panicked and started hosing themselves down, but in the video, according to Rahaibani, “what you see are people suffering from hypoxia—not gas poisoning.”
This report was independently backed up by a reporter from One America News Network named Pearson Sharp, who gave a detailed account of his interviews with officials, doctors, as well as many civilians on the street Sharp says he deliberately selected at random in order to avoid accusations of bias. Many people hadn’t even heard that a chemical weapons attack had taken place, and the ones who had said it was staged by Jaysh al-Islam. The staff at the hospital, including a medic-in-training who was an eyewitness to the incident, gave the same story as the account in Fisk’s report. (Fisk also reported that the White Helmets in Duma had joined jihadists on Syrian government buses on the way to Idlib province.)
Weakening Narrative
The increasing confidence with which these unapproved narratives are being voiced and the increasing discomfort being exhibited by empire loyalists like Ambassador Ward indicate a weakening narrative in the greater propaganda campaign against the Assad government and its allies, but don’t hold your breath for the part where Fox News and the BBC turn around and start asking critical questions of the governments that they are meant to be holding to account.
The journalists who have been advancing the establishment narrative on Syria aren’t about to start reporting that they’ve gotten the entire Syria story backward and have been promoting a version of events manufactured for the benefit of CIA-MI6-Mossad agendas. You’re not about to see CNN, who last year staged a fake scripted interview with a seven year-old Syrian girl to manufacture support for escalations against Assad, suddenly turn around and start asking if we’re being told the full story about what’s happening Syria.
Watch them closely. Watch how they steadfastly ignore the growing mountain of evidence and keep promoting the Syrian regime change agenda that the western empire has been working toward for decades. Watch them dismiss all evidence they can’t ignore as Kremlin propaganda and shift the narrative whenever things start to look bad for them. Those riding the crest of the wave of establishment media are too far gone into the blob to ever admit error and change. The least among us aren’t about to stop constructing a public reality tunnel which depicts them as heroes of truth, tear it all down, and start advancing a narrative which makes them look like fools at best and villains at worst. It will not happen.Luckily for us, it doesn’t need to. Internet censorship is still far from closing the door on our ability to network and share information, and we’ve been very effective at sowing skepticism among the masses. The war propagandists are not nearly as good at their jobs as they want to believe, and we can beat them.
Consent Required
They work so hard to manufacture support for war because they require that consent. If the oligarchs try to launch a war against a disobedient nation amidst very clear opposition from the public, they will shatter the illusion of freedom and democracy that their entire empire is built upon, and then they’re exposed. Corporatist oligarchy has succeeded in weaving its web of dominance because its oppression has thus far remained hidden and its depravity disguised as humanitarianism. They cannot expose themselves by transgressing a loud NO from the public or else the masses will realize that everything they used to believe about their country, their government and their world is a lie.
They won’t risk that. We can force them into retreating from open war by circulating facts and information and keeping a healthy level of skepticism circulating among the public. Watch them squirm, move goalposts and shift narratives, and point and yell about it whenever it happens. We can win the media war against the propagandists. We have truth on our side.
This article first appeared on Medium.
Caitlin Johnstone is a rogue journalist, poet, and utopia prepper who publishes regularly at Medium. Follow her work on Facebook, Twitter, or her website. She has a podcast and a new book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. This article was re-published with permission.
The US can make chemical weapons stories “real” anytime they want. Trump suddenly appointed Bolton about two weeks before the alleged “chemical weapons” attack. Was that appointment a coincidence? https://youtu.be/0AKL8VTrO4g
At this point I would not put it passed Trump to send out code words to the White Helmets to start their hoax play. Last time, the code words were “no regime change in Syria.” One day later, chemical weapons attack. This time it was , “we are withdrawing from Syria”. One day later, chemical weapons attack.
Trump’s words about no regime change, and withdrawing from Syria are never made without a chemical weapons attack following.
Those words may just be a replacement for Hollywood’s Slateboard Clapper for “Action”?
It is so obvious that PBS reporters and anchors cannot begin to tell the truth about Syria. Their one-sided narrative and misrepresentations lock them into more of the same. They obey the politcial agenda of those promoting US empire.
Thank you Caitlin for keeping steadfastly reporting what my gut tells me is the truth. I am relieved that you have youth and energy I do not. I too believe we must continue to influence the public to accept the alternative facts about the corruption and more importantly, the evil that drives the US and their allies in their drive to control the world. At the very least the alt news slows down what I believe is the ultimate fall of my country.
Nice picture, Caity
It was absolutely laughable when the TV news coverage showed these greasy slime ball, rebel white helmets who were hosing down kids with water, damn near drowning them & one idiot was giving a kid a dose from a asthma inhaler, as if asthma medication could treat Chemical agent, it was so pathetically fake & fabricated it was a wonder any person could believe this clearly staged event? Also, the RT Channel showed footage of a Medical staffer & later interviewed him & who confirmed that these Rebels showed up in the ED, no one knew who they were & took over, hoses in hand & fabricated the whole thing! The embarassing thing is how they are playing May , Macron & Trump as gullible Western suckers, as every time they get close to losing, all they have to do is fake a chemical attack & then the United Airforce of ISIS being the combined airpower of the US, UK & France, will just swoop in like airborne Angel’s of death, to dispense justice on behalf of radical Islam & Allah? How wonderful & it’s little wonder the White Helmets won the Academy Awards for best acting in a fake Documentary masquerade?
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Pinto my meaning is : any object which may be positively identified as coming from the district in question.
Say any distinctive or unique architectural detail debris. Building or street signs.
I expect there is an established protocol.
Dear Caitlin, thank you for your article!
It gives a little hope. I do hope with you that more and more people wake up to the truth.
You and your colleagues give them a chance – and do also give peace a chance.
Best regards from Wolfgang in Stuttgart / Germany.
For some of us studying world affairs, it is becoming more and more evident that the real and decisive battles being waged in the modern world are for the hearts and minds of populations, including their elites in power. An example of this specific psychological contest area is the efforts of the neocons to convince the apex power holders of their ideas and recommendations for action. The MSM are an example of those trying to guide and sway the masses. So info wars and psyops and media campaigns are where the crucial history changing action is focused. To not understand this, and get lost in thinking that economic numbers, gross military strength, geographic position, etc. are the only real factors that determine historical outcomes, leaves one ill prepared for ill equipped but religiously inspired peasant armies defeating their supposedly overwhelmingly superior adversaries.
It turns out that the stories we tell ourselves are major determinants of our intentions and capabilities. Our myths give birth to our realities. At the greatest level of generalization we can say that world history is a battleground between Good and Evil, being waged in the minds and souls of men and women everywhere. Most of us would need to think deeply about that to understand it, and determine if it had any validity. Please don’t jump to the conclusion that I am saying this is the only dimension of our history on this beautiful planet. I am only saying that in this increasingly materialistic age, it is an important dimension to take into account. Certainly those who seek to control our minds are very aware of and active in this sphere.
Excellent point mike k, and a recent example of how active this is, is a recent book by Max Boot describing how if America had followed the thinking of Edward Lansdale, there might have been a better outcome in Vietnam. Incredible! I can’t think of a single individual more responsible for our current atmosphere than Col. Lansdale.
I’ll provide a link for those unfamiliar with him.
Here is the Lansdale link…
http://spartacus-educational.com/COLDlansdale.htm
Going back to Jimbo’s comment, i just read on another website an article on Robert Fisk’s report and cited here by Caitin, and i agree with you, Jimbo, just why did Fisk feel compelled to throw into his supposedly objective report that statement about Jeffersonian democracy and Assad’s government being a “ruthless dictatorship”? Not helpful, quite harmful.
Because Fisk is an MI6 client, limited hangout.
The White Helmets are propaganda TV units that recently won a Hollywood Oscar for their work in Syria.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2dpyR1kEP4
Here is the latest from Craig Murray and reading his comments section is always important at his site…
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk
More info at link below.
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Envoy to OPCW says Russia found participants of staged ‘chemical attack’ video in Syria
Russian Politics & Diplomacy
April 16, 20:16UTC+3
http://tass.com/politics/1000124
More on the propaganda pushers at link below.
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https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/04/16/british-propaganda-and-disinformation-imperial-and-colonial-tradition.html
Thanks Stephen J, Wayne Madsen has been a reliable resource for a long time…
Notice how Lavrov, Putin and Maria almost always use the phrase “…our Western partners…” This is a humane and totally rational gesture on their behalf. Make no mistake, Lavrov, Putin and Maria know full well that the Washington-Zio-Saudi-militarists despise them and want nothing less than to return Russia back to its vassal status ruled by Western-Wall Street quislings.
Lavrov, Putin and Maria use the assuaging rhetoric b/c they well know things could easily spiral out of control when dealing with bloodthirsty warmongering sociopaths like Bolton, Netanyahu, Clown Prince MBS, Lindsay Graham, McCain, Pompeo, Pence, etc. They’re being as diplomatic as possible in order to stave off the possibility of nuclear war.
That they generally use soothing semantics is a small attempt on their behalf to let the coffee cool and deescalate tensions.
That Putin an other Russian spokespersons use polite and inviting terms in referring to the Empire and it’s criminals, is a testament to their real intentions, which are for peace. They remain on the high ground morally in spite of the taunts of the war mongers. The real strength of Russia resides in their return to a deep and true spirituality, which refuses to use the corrupt language of their opponents, and continually invites them to sit down and find peaceful solutions to our problems. Imagine if the Russians chose to use the aggressive and threatening language the Empire’s agents indulge in? This could quickly lead to a radioactive wasteland.
Those who wish Russia would be “tougher” with the Empire, are asking Her to play the same dead end game the Empire is trying to provoke. Evil will not be defeated by outdoing it with greater evil.
And I would add the name of the late Vitaly Churkin.
Russia’s top foreign ministry people are obviously intelligent, educated people, as well as highly competent diplomats.
They don’t thump their chests about how “great” or “exceptional” Russia is, but they make clear their interests and intentions. And Putin and the top defense ministry people operate under the same principles in their statements.
As a result, the recent missile tantrum by the Grand Old Imperial Club indicates they *finally* (none too soon), may be paying attention to what Russia is saying. The aggression – while an outrage in itself – almost paradoxically showed how the disciplined Russian approach is hemming in the West’s campaign of chaos. In idiotic U.S. terminology, Russia’s “red lines” were respected.
This bodes well for the future, though I don’t minimize the continuing danger.
Yes, I am trusting in them to stave off nuclear war.
Yeah, keep it up, friend.
“Atrocity propaganda” is a great term to use in conversations to wake up people, Paul Merrell, thank you. When i read about the capture of the British, American, Israeli operatives by the SAA in Ghouta, i thought wouldn’t it be great to show them to the western world? No such luck, their release was no doubt secretly negotiated.
Good article.
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We have to remember that we are governed by war criminals (past and presently) lying, killing and spreading propaganda is their forte. Their depredations are covered up by most of the corporate media.
http://graysinfo.blogspot.ca/2016/10/are-corporate-media-propaganda-pushers.html
If Josef Goebbels the Nazi propagandist were alive today, he would praise them:
“The effective propagandist must be a master of the art of speech, of writing, of journalism, of the poster and of the leaflet. He must have the gift to use the major methods of influencing public opinion such as the press, film and radio to serve his ideas and goals, above all in an age of advancing technology.” Josef Goebbels, Nazi Propagandist.
Durham NC has become the first American city to ban Israeli military style training of their police. Apparently there are coordinated programs through government and NGOs to train police at the local level by Israel! The extent of Israel’s influence in Americans’ lives is truly breathtaking. This was from R*T*, why don’t you believe a word of it, says the Ministry of Truth. We’ll administer the truth serum, thank you.
Related:
hxxps://twitter.com/_mohsenshebli/status/971398818884440065?lang=en (with photo).
See also;
A Jaunger, International Coalition Soldiers Captured by Syrian Army, Inside Syria Media Center (2 April 2018), hxxps://en.insidesyriamc.com/2018/04/02/international-coalition-soldiers-captured-by-syrian-army/
[1] Kafr Batna is in East Ghouta. SOHR reported that the Syrian Army took control of that town on 17 March 2018. Anon., Fears for the Lives of Civilians after the Regime Forces Advanced in the Southwestern Pocket of the Eastern Ghouta under Heavy Fire Cover, SOHR (17 March 2018), hxxp://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=86977
I know, backswardevolution, this sham(e) show is absolutely maddening, but behind it is money and political puppets who do bidding of their money masters. This article connects the economic geopolitical dots that aren’t discussed by the lapdog press.
I have come to wonder if Trump was actually a setup from the start, that the duopoly choices were kabuki theater for the masses, and I wanted Clinton to lose because of her militarism. With lobbying and Citizens United, a hijacked Supreme Court and Congress, it’s all control by money power. All of this talk about democracy is clearly a mockery. Pompeo began as a Tea Party candidate from Kansas, the home of Koch Industries, and he is backed by Koch money. The article points out the anti-Russia propaganda as part of this geopolitical power politics of the Grand Chessboard, and before his death even Brzezhinski was advocating toning down anti-Russia rhetoric.
Mike’s article shows how useless the UN has become. What a difference since i grew up to enter the adult world in the days of JFK! Very sad indeed…and i believe the US will ultimately “Pay the Piper”, as my mother used to say.
Thank you Jessika, that is why the clock stopped atJFK’s Assassination. There is nothing fundamentally so great about the American Democracy that can overcome a Coup d’état…
Jessika – “I have come to wonder if Trump was actually a setup from the start, that the duopoly choices were kabuki theater for the masses, and I wanted Clinton to lose because of her militarism.”
That thought has gone through my mind occasionally. I catch myself wondering “what if?” Then I dismiss it until another piece of the puzzle drops in place, and then the thought enters my mind again. On occasion I’ve even wondered whether Putin wasn’t in on the fun. U.K., French, U.S. and Russian arms manufacturers are all selling a ton of weapons. The MIC is getting rich with all this war. The world economy is hanging by a thread, so this might be a way of keeping the money flowing. I just don’t know.
I’m sitting about 60% on Trump’s side, 40% thinking it might all be a sick game (as you said, kabuki theater) just to fool us. Keeps us busy taking sides so that we don’t see the big picture, and the media profits while stirring up the hate.
On the other hand, if Trump is still a nationalist, if he still believes that stopping the wars, cutting back on NATO, securing the borders and rebuilding America are of paramount importance, then his actions spell something more sinister. Perhaps he’s being blackmailed? Maybe some really kinky photos? “Do it, Trump, or we’ll spill the beans” type of thing?
The retaliatory strikes in Syria were very limited; just three buildings got hit and no one died. Same as Trump’s strike last year. They are even saying that again the Russians were forewarned of the impending strike. If you’re warning your so-called enemy, then what the heck is going on? I like to think that Trump told them that’s all he would do, but who knows what went on. So far he’s been all bark and no bite – or very little bite.
Seems that every time there’s posturing by Iran, Russia and Syria to take back all of Syria, including the northeastern corner, the Western allies conjure up some false flag or a convenient poisoning, followed up by pointed bombings, just to let them know that the West is intending to hold that part of Syria indefinitely, so don’t even bother thinking otherwise.
So I’m stuck in the middle with you, Jessika.
The British parliament is currently discussing the issue of the US, France and United Kingdom (illegal) attack on Syria. They are all asserting as though proven fact that Assad is responsible for the alleged chemical weapons attack. They are completely shameless.
Just finished reading the Common Dreams article by Jonathan Cook reporting on the reporting done by Robert Fisk. When I think of Robert Fisk I think of Seymour Hersh at the very top of the integrity and competence list. What Robert Fisk had to report is both outrageous and chilling. The purported incident of the White Helmet person creating panic and filming it is extraordinary in that it supports all the previous claims about the behavior of the White Helmets. I have you, Caitlin to thank for citing the Robert Fisk report and the excellent piece by Jonathan Cook.
Quote from the Independent’s Robert Fisk report:
“At the same time, inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are currently blocked from coming here to the site of the alleged gas attack themselves, ostensibly because they lacked the correct UN permits.”
Why would Russia and/or Syria block access when a reporter can wonder around, all by himself? Let’s pretend for a second that the inspectors had no permit, which is not true. But even if it is, Syria and/or Russia could allow the inspectors without permit, it’s not their responsibility to obtain permits.This does not make much sense to me…
As for the OPCW does not UN permit, rubbish…
This kind of mission has to be approved prior to departure by UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS) and it did provide the necessary permit for traveling to Douma.
Quote from the daily UN briefing, the first in the Q&A section::
“Question: Thanks, Steph. The Russians have said that the delay in the OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] getting to Douma is because of an absence of some sort of UN security permission. Can you provide clarity if… has the UN given that permission?
Spokesman: Sure. The UN has provided the necessary clearances for the OPCW team to go about its work in Douma. We’ve not denied them any sort of clearance.”
Source: h**ps://www.independent.co.uk/voices/syria-chemical-attack-gas-douma-robert-fisk-ghouta-damascus-a8307726.html
Unless the UN is in on this smokescreen, this does not make any sense…
On the delay, it’s more likely because the U.S. struck the facility where OPCW investigators were going to work just hours before. The agricultural science research center in Barzeh Jumrya is where the OPCW hangs its hat when in Syria doing investigations. The center, recently certified as free of chemical warfare agents and weapons by the OPCW, was the recipient of 73 cruise missiles Friday night according to the Pentagon. But the extent of visible damage suggests only 3-4 missiles hit the center, which was a cluster of three small buildings. See “before” and “after” photos at hxxp://www.moonofalabama.org/2018/04/syria-pentagon-hides-attack-failure-70-cruise-missiles-shot-down-.html
I think it likely that the U.S. targeted the center because any samples taken by Russia or Syria would likely have been stored in that center. (Agricultural research centers typically are equipped with facilities for storing and analyzing samples for pesticide or other chemical pollution residues.)
Thanks Paul,
Your explanation sounds plausible, but did not answered my question, nor did the time frame matched.
The OPCW investigators received the authorization for entering Syria last Friday 04.13.18. They have flown in to Beirut, some of them had arrived on last Friday, where they have met with Syrian and Russian representative to work out the logistics for their work. The investigators were to arrive on Saturday, that had been put on hold by Syria and/or Russia. The reason given for the delay, you’ve probably red it, that they do not have UN permit to enter the country. The Russian foreign ministry and representative to the OPCW did state this a number of times.
My point was that this is simply not true, the investigators had received the UN DSS authorization prior to leaving for their mission. Why would Russia, that must be aware that the UN DSS authorization had been provided, keep repeating the same thing that states otherwise?
It’s possible that Barzeh Jumrya had been the agreed upon location, where the OPCW planned to hang its hat, And due to the fact it had been destroyed during the allied attack, another location had to be agreed upon with the host country. That’s certainly understandable. But why did the Russians stated that there’s no UN permit for them to enter Syria? The DSS authorization is for the country and not for specific location. Why not just state that initial location had been destroyed and the we are in the process of negotiating another location with the OPCW investigators? I am just haveing hard time understanding as to why Russia keeps repeating the same thing. And yes, I am aware that the OPCW investigators will be in Douma tomorrow…
As for the “any samples taken by Russia or Syria” stored in the destroyed center, well… What sample, how do you take sample of an alleged chemical attack that did not take place?
Samples which test negative for banned chemicals.
@Bannana…
So, they have samples of approved chemicals? One could just pick up a handful of sand/dirt for negative sample. What are you saying?
RT reports a Syrian spokes person stating Barzeh was a medical facility.
Please read this article linked. Then tell me what nation is destroying morality and the rule of just laws in the world? Your CN course grade will depend on your answer!
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/04/17/how-us-has-virtually-destroyed-un.html
It’s the US of course and that’s why it’s necessary to go back far enough to establish legally the culprits so that they may be tried. Thanks mike k…
My pleasure(?) Bob. Of course this is an expression of the worst possible news.
Beyond all the engrossing details of our collapse, there is the truly frightening demise of our most precious values, the loss of our Souls. We saw what horrors could be unleashed when this moral failure infected Germany. Now we are seeing it all again, with America and it’s own sick dreams of world domination leading the way.
Ron Paul Institute has a very important article:
“How the US Occupied the 30% of Syria Containing Most of Its Oil, Water and Gas” by Whitney Webb, originally published at Mintpress News and has been picked up other places on the web.
Geopolitics for multinationals as basis for the propaganda campaign to keep playing the people very well explained here, shows why the US is not going to give up anytime soon in its intent to partition Syria.
Jessika – that looks like a great article, but it made me angry after reading the first few paragraphs, so I’ll wait until tomorrow to be ticked off. Here’s the link:
https://www.mintpressnews.com/how-the-us-occupied-the-30-of-syria-containing-most-of-its-oil-water-and-gas/240601/
Oil, water and gas, and it cuts off any future Iranian/Iraqi/Syrian corridor. Money, power and control.
For those of you who didn’t get to listen to Tucker Carlson’s monologue from Monday, April 9, 2018, here it is: “Tucker Carlson Goes on Epic Rant Against War in Syria”. He did such a good job, and he didn’t pick sides.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0niyl-vDBk
Caitlin, great job!
Why don’t they send American foreign correspondents there? We need to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, that Reagan repealed in 1988. That gave rise to the one-sided corporate mouthpiece that passes as media today. Over 80% of investigative journalists were fired over a 15 yr. period and foreign news bureaus were eliminated.
Actually, there IS an American reporter in Syria:
https://www.facebook.com/luke.murray.14/videos/1621628087928675/
Unfettered Fire – “Fairness Doctrine – a former federal policy in the U.S. requiring television and radio broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance.”
You are absolutely right about this, Unfettered Fire! No way the talking heads should be able to continually provide only one side of the coin. Personally, I don’t even know how they do this. Very unethical.
Unfettered Fire – Paul Craig Roberts said:
“Today reporters no longer have to check sources because there is no longer journalism in America. When the Clinton regime in compliance with the Deep State that made the Clintons super-rich permitted 90% of the independent and diverse US media to be concentrated in the hands of six political companies, that was the end of journalism in America. All we have now is a propaganda ministry that lies for a living. Anyone in American journalism who tells the truth is either immediately fired or in the case of Tucker Carlson at Fox News is set upon by outside presstitutes in an effort to force Fox to replace him. I wonder how long before some woman pops up and claims Tucker Carlson sexually harassed her.”
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 under Bill Clinton was the final nail in the coffin.
Michael Hastings murdered with DARPA technology.
Whether it was dust doesn’t alter the fact that the aftermath was staged as a chemical attack. It may interest readers to know, that the one man band of the Syrian Observatory for human rights and his anti Assad associates in Syria, have actually come out and said there was no chemical attack and have also largely confirmed the Russian assessment of the missile hits as being correct. Even this Assad hater and the West’s crony in supporting the mantra that everything is Assad’s fault etc, doesn’t believe the latest farce the West is trying to call fact.
The well brainwashed will believe anything they are told, however absurd and unreasonable.
In addition to all that, one question to the gang of 3 state- terrorists ( USA/UK and France) would be: ” Why are you bombing a facility, you pretend to know that it is a production plant for chemical weapons, located in a large city? Could it be, that you have calculated deliberately the death of hundreds of innocent people?…just a question!
Or did you know exactly, that it was a completely non military laboratory, like proved by the OPCW?
On the day of the attack the doctors on duty were interviewed in Arabic. The English subtitles on the videos clearly indicated that NO ONE they treated had suffered from chemical poisoning of any sort. Some people were treated for what the doctors described as “smoke inhalation” or probably more accurately, dust inhalation from the shattered buildings. In either case, the effect is to limit oxygen intake, hence causing “hypoxia.” All the hosing down and use of asthma inhalers was due either to panic-driven chaos or orchestrated dramatics by the White Helmets.
Just remember if you are ever dosed with Sarin or VX, you’ll be unconscious and dead before you hit the ground, so don’t even worry about hosing yourself down, and anyone who tries to treat you as shown in the videos will quickly be joining you in paradise with or without the 72 virgins.
You mentioned exactly the right thing. It is always interesting zo see, how the people avoid to ask the simpliest questions…Thank you
But they promised us virgins! (Come to think of it, they didn’t say they might be old and ugly……….)
Realist – very well said. And when they bombed these so-called chemical weapons depots on Friday night, why weren’t there mass casualties from this bombing? Surely the chemicals would have been released into the air. Children in grade school could make up more believable stories than these clowns ever could.
I think that your snarky witicisms make reading the evil crap that you are forced to report a little more endurable.
Keep fighting.
A little well crafted snark spices the stew, eh? I agree; otherwise things get too dark, and we drive off those we seek to wake up.
Hey Jimbo I agree with you on your criticism of that statement made by Fisk. It does not make any sense. I would also like to give props to 21 century wire. They do an outstanding job covering Syria. Several years ago the KSA did a survey in Syria and, to their dismay found Assads popularity to be at 75%.
Thank you Caitlin for this outstanding article. I also appreciate Robert Fisk, Pearson Sharp, and RT for helping us get to the bottom of this. Let more of the truth rain down. Let it be a hard rain that falls. To quote Lee Camp from Redacted Tonight: KEEP FIGHTING!
We are indeed fighting for the truth here at CN. And it is a crucially necessary fight. If we are silent, who will stand up for the truth? Whatever flak we get from others for our efforts must not deter us from defending the truth in this world drowning in lies.
Read the Robert Fisk linked article and it was a relief he offered further confirmation of what CN readers already know about how the mainstream media and our governments lie about Syria but I was taken aback near the piece’s end when he said this:
“Syria doesn’t cut it as Jeffersonian democracy – as I cynically like to tell my Arab colleagues – and it is indeed a ruthless dictatorship…”
Is Syria really a ruthless dictatorship? It may seem niggling but Patrick Henningsen pointed out on his recent podcast how even in many reports which are actually critical of the west’s actions there is often a dig at Assad which is unwarranted because if you see interviews with Assad he comes off as level headed and kind and his popularity with the Syrians is very high. Maybe it’s Fisk’s and other’s way to portray some balance or offering some teensy rationale for us starting this conflict. If Fisk is giving us the truth he is smudging it up with some lie.
Robert Fisk to have his article published in “Independent”, has to write like that about Assad. I noticed that he did not include Putin being another ruthless and evil dictator in there – which is almost a must in just about all the news or other oped articles about Russia in MSM – in the West.
Watching the interviews of Bashar Assad, a U.K. educated Opthalmologist, and of his U.K. born and educated sunni muslim wife Asma Assad, they seem to be the only educated, secular, and democratic couple among all the Middle Eastern Dictators. With very mild personality, he seems to be the kind of person who will probably be happier being a doctor; instead he has been thrust into this role as head of Syria. With constant Western, Israeli, and Saudi interference, including arming the Jihadists, in that country for a very long time, he has been doing the best he can to keep Syria together and a secular Nation. Without him, the Syria most likely would have been taken over by the Head choppers, and be in utter chaos.
Dave P. – totally agree with you. I’ve watched many interviews of Assad (and even his wife). They are well-spoken, educated, compassionate, but what really struck me is the love they have for their country and its people. I feel sorry for the people of Syria and the Assad’s. It’s like he’s right back on the school ground, surrounded by bullies.
Demonizing Assad is bullshit. Gadaffi got the same false treatment. Any leader the US doesn’t like due to their independent stance is automatically a “dictator.” Putin is called a dictator. Our own stupid one man rule system could be called a dictatorship – “democratic,” of course.
They get demonized only after they get off the USA playbook, previous to that no crime matters to the USA.
backwardsevolution –
It seems so hopeless sometimes. The whole Western Civilization is completely degenerated now – its Leadership, Ruling Elite, Journalists, Academia . . . All these lies, disinformation, and complete garbage being fed to the populations 24/7 in U.S. and EU, for so many years now. Are there any honest people left among them? In any home, if the children grow up in an atmosphere like that, you can imagine what will happen to them. Populations are no different than children. No hope of renewal. Europe is almost as bad as it is here. Whatever independence and power UN and its Organs had, it has largely disappeared starting about the time when NATO bombed Yugoslavia during the 1990’s. . Do you really believe OPCW based in Hague is independent! Most likely, they will plant the evidence themselves in Syria. Same is true of the International Court in Hague.
It did not happen overnight. The complete control of Finance, Media and Entertainment happened gradually, over many decades – it was all by design. And so did the slow brainwashing of the population, and erosion of the ethnic/social, cultural, and moral foundations of the Western Civilization. Yes there are other forces at work, but their influence is not as much.
I am not in the Social Sciences, my background is technical. These are just my observations, looking around our social circle, friends, and my numerous relatives from both sides, and my home. There are only a few among them who can still think analytically. Retired in our mid-seventies, my wife has been watching this Rachel Maddow and others on MSNBC, CNN, MSNBC, Judy Woodruff on PBS for quite a few years now. And most of the retired people do the same in their homes – watch these main channels including FOX. And you can imagine the effect ! Except for occasional movie and other good program, I myself quit watching TV for quite a few years now.
There is a small segment of the population like the one reading articles on CN, Ron Paul Website, and on few other alternative News sites, who can still see the both sides of the coin, and make rational judgments. May be the renewal can start there.
A correction. What I meant was: ” . . . Are there any honest people left among the the Power Structure, the Ruling Elite?”
Dave P. – great rant. What amazes me is when talking to people who are oblivious to what is going on in the world, they will still argue with you, even though they don’t know what they’re talking about. If you mention Assad, they say “who?” If you mention false flags, they think you’re talking about flag men at a construction site. If you mention Gaddafi, they haven’t a clue what he did for his citizens. Yet they will sit there and argue that what the U.S. military did must have been right, otherwise they wouldn’t have done it. Aaaaaah!
“It did not happen overnight. The complete control of Finance, Media and Entertainment happened gradually, over many decades – it was all by design. And so did the slow brainwashing of the population, and erosion of the ethnic/social, cultural, and moral foundations of the Western Civilization. Yes there are other forces at work, but their influence is not as much.”
Perfectly said!
Yes, the “evil Assad” and the “evil Putin” are from the same playbook. Most sheeple only get their news from the MSM, rather than actually listen to interviews and speeches, and then judge for themselves. We are the lonely few here in our “sound-proof, free speech zone”.
Demonization of the enemy is an ancient form of propaganda, as is atrocity propaganda. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrocity_propaganda
Paul E. Merrell, J.D. – “Atrocity propaganda is the spreading of information about the crimes committed by an enemy, which can be factual, but often includes or features deliberate fabrications or exaggerations. This can involve photographs, videos, illustrations, interviews, and other forms of information presentation & reporting. It is frequently used as part of psychological warfare campaigns as well as to rally popular support against real atrocities, and distinguishing between the two applications can be very difficult.”
And there’s actually a term for it! I learn something new every day. Thanks, Mr. Merrell.
@Dave…
“Robert Fisk to have his article published in “Independent”, has to write like that about Assad.”
If that would be the case, why would Independent not object to the rest of the article? Sounds more like hogwash…
“Robert Fisk to have his article published in “Independent”, has to write like that about Assad.”
Excellent point Dave P.!
Fisk is capable of a good deal of underhanded innuendo. Never mind Syria: neither the UK nor the USA resembles a “Jeffersonian democracy” in any way. Jefferson was dead set against central banks, standing armies, foreign wars, great differences in wealth, and even big cities. He said that once Americans were packed together in cities they would become as corrupt as Europeans. He was a strong advocate of states’ rights and opposed the centralization of power by the US federal government. And during the eight years when served as president, not only would he accept no bribes or fees from anyone, he even sent back personal presents from friends and family – explaining that corruption starts small and that the only way to be clean was to accept nothing.
If Jefferson could see the USA today he would start screaming and go on until he was dragged away to Guantanamo.
Tom Welsh – Jefferson sounds like the last person to have had any sense. No central bank, states’ rights, decentralization? That’s a smart man.
I’ve been reading Fisk for a number of years now. He has lived in Beirut for over 20 years, and has reported extensively from Syria in addition to the other countries he usually covers. He is accurate and nuanced, and always admits when he has made an error. Now it’s nuance (which is in such short supply these days). As one does not need be a Putin fan to call BS on the Russiagate garbage, so does one not have to be an establishment drone to recognize that civil liberties have never been too high a priority for the Syrian government. You can’t recognize the US being a police state without acknowledging that it has lots of company in that regard. The Mukhabarat (Syrian state security) has long had a bad reputation (probably why the US used to extraordinarily render people to Syria for torture by the same Mukhabarat). In a surprisingly frank admission, a senior Syrian government official said that “mistakes were made” by security at the begining of the protests (probably refering to incidents of young people being tortured for anti-government graffiti).
Yes, the Syrian government is currently the victim of machinations by the global capitalist elite…but I don’t think any of them will be seriously considered for a Right Livelihood award anytime soon.
I think Robert Fisk makes very good points many times in his articles – I was not criticizing him. Regarding the torture in Syria, I think to make a proper judgement we have to compare Syria with other ME States – In KSA where they are still chopping heads or limbs of homosexuals, unfaithful wives, and other petty crimes. So is true of Gulf States. Egypt is pretty bad; thousands have disappeared or are languishing in jails after the overthrow of first democratically elected President in Egypt’s History; under the Military Dictator installed after the coup.
When U.S. under Bush after 9/11 sent these prisoners to Poland, Romania, Egypt and Syria among other countries for torture; I think it was wrong of Syrian Government to participate in it. On the other hand, remember Bush’s famous declaration Either you are with us or you are against us. No middle ground. And we should not forget what happened in Abhu Gharaib, and other prisons in Iraq during the occupation, and supposedly we are very civilized society. Torture in any form is evil, whoever does it. It is sad to see humanity sinking to that level. But that is where we are now.
One indicator is the percentage of Syrian citizens wishing to return to their nation.
“‘It is our understanding the Russians may have visited the attack site,’ reports U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Ward. ‘It is our concern that they may have tampered with it with the intent of thwarting the efforts of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission to conduct an effective investigation.'”
It is my understanding that when the Russians got to Douma, they hid the evidence inside a wooden doll, and then put that doll inside a similar – but slightly larger – doll. And they then repeated the procedure *several more times*. What chance do the investigators have against that kind of Russian sneakiness?
Best laugh I’ve had today. Dynamite.
Bravo David G.
Dolling up he evidence, eh? Dastardly!
Truly great David G! Thank you for starting my day with a good chuckle.
Good one! Did you see the report on BBC last week showing Jeremy Corbyn playing with Russian dolls? It was old footage–such obvious red-baiting I laughed out loud!
It’s beyond belief Nancy. And as all CN fans know, some of the best and brightest of the liberal establishment and intelligentsia are both peddling the incessant Russophobia and buying right into it.
It’d all be so comical if it weren’t downright terrifying.
Yes, it’s like they think this is all a game for their amusement. There is so much laughing and chuckling whenever Trump is being disparaged. I guess it makes the liberals feel oh-so-superior.
Problem is, the pawns in their game are real people who might someday rise up against all the madness.
An enigma inside a conundrum.
Ah yes, once again the well honed skepticism of CN writers, readers and posters has been vindicated.
When will ‘Prop or Not’ give us our props?
Just as we suspected — it was another false alarm
Good thinking Caitlin.
Nothing surprising here, nobody has yet dared to report the dust that killed and is still killing thousand who were in lower Manhattan on 9/11/2001 was private property owned by soon to be billionaire Larry Silverstein. Consortium, for some inexplicable reason, refuses to look at this mass murder as a mass murder, a premeditated mass murder carried out by the usual suspects for specific outcome and reaction despite OVERWHELMING evidence proving controlled demolitions on all three buildings. So one can only conclude Consortium is afraid of this subject, refuses to allow discussion of the physics and motives, but would rather posture as BEING ABOVE conspiracies even though conspiracies and collisions are commonplace. This suggests that Consortium, itself, needs to go on a watch list with all the other controlled opposition sites.
Lee Anderson – there have been a few articles re 9/11 at Consortium, but, you’re right, they are limited in their scope. I’ve talked to my son about this, and he argues that until the public are allowed access to all of the evidence, you can read until the cows come home, but you’ll never really know the truth – or at least you won’t be able to prove it.
I said back to him that all you have to look at is Building No. 7. That building was definitely NOT brought down by fire (and, of course, neither were the other two buildings). Case closed.
This is a good interview of a former N.I.S.T. employee, just in case you’ve never seen it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ_jQgIEnI8
There are certain topics no one with a reputation wants to touch them – not even Chomsky. 9/11 is one of them.
Give me a break. Do you seriously want us to believe that a government that was either too clueless or too incompetent to plant even a single WMD in the the entire nation of Iraq once it was under military control in order to support their bullshittery was simultaneously so uber-competant that they flawlessly executed by far the most sophisticated false flag operation in the entire history of the human race and didn’t get busted a hundred times over with their pants down? And further more, as part of said false flag operation, they ALSO managed to rig two of the tallest buildings in the world for controlled demolition in utter secrecy? Oh wait, sorry, my bad. THREE buildings. Because God forbid we forget about the alleged smoking gun that’s building no. 7. After all, how could this false flag possibly be effective if it only destroyed the twin towers and crashed a plane into the pentagon? Obviously that wouldn’t have been sufficient to accomplish their aims and stoke war fever, so of course this maniacal cabal had to make sure that building no. 7 was destroyed as well. I too remember 9/11 and how we were all sitting on the fence initially, not really sure if it was such a big deal. It was only after the collapse of our beloved building no. 7 that we lost our collective shit.
Lee & backwardsevolution: Do you two ass-clowns have any clue how stupid you sound? Seriously, do either of you at least occasionally look at yourself in the mirror and think “wow, I’m bat shit crazy?” No, of course you don’t. Because instead of ACTUALLY thinking critically about anything, people like you spend all of your time patting each other on your collective backs for being such brilliantly incisive and fearless truth tellers. If only the rest of us poor benighted souls could blindly put our trust in a couple of random 9/11 YouTube truthers and throw off the yoke of the MSM, humanity would finally achieve its longed-for utopia.
Draxx – there are many very intelligent people who believe exactly what Lee and I do, but you can believe what you want. This fellow is certainly credible:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ_jQgIEnI8
No, I’m sorry to be so non-politically correct. But there aren’t ANY intelligent people who believe what Lee and you do. Only overly credulous, retarded sheeple believe what you and Lee do.
One may forgive others for allowing their own survival.
Lee, I’m with you. All the highly specialized arguments about the 911 are interesting but exhausting! When all you need to do is watch the buildings “drop in their own footprint”. The fact that ALL news organizations have either run screaming from this obvious treason or have piled on the “discrediting” agenda shows how long and completely this nation has been in the thrall of the corrupt corporate take-over of our country. Freaks me right out!
We repeatedly hear of “chemical weapons attacks” carried out by Syrian forces, mostly unconfirmed by independent sources. And the western nations call for drastic measures to be brought against “the cruel Assad Regime”. While no proof has ever been offered, wee are all aware of the massive dumping of Agent Orange by the “holier-than thou” US in Vietnam, resulting in many deaths and malformations of newborns to this day. Where was the outrage then? Who has called for drastic action against the US over these chemical attacks? Nobody, because you do not accuse yourself.
Hans H Boeker – yes, and then there’s the depleted uranium from the 1991 Gulf War, war in Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan.
“While the Pentagon has continued to claim, against all scientific evidence, that there is no hazard posed by depleted uranium, US troops in Iraq have reportedly been instructed to avoid any sites where these weapons have been used — destroyed Iraqi tanks, exploded bunkers, etc. — and to wear masks if they do have to approach. Many torched vehicles have been brought back to the US, where they have been buried in special sites reserved for dangerously contaminated nuclear materials.
(Thousands of tons of DU-contaminated sand from Kuwait, polluted with DU during the US destruction of Iraq’s tank forces in the 1991 war, were removed and shipped to a waste site in Idaho last year with little fanfare.) Suspiciously, international health officials have been prevented or obstructed from doing medical studies of DU sites in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Not to mention the babies who either died or were born with deformities, or the soldiers and civilians who will no doubt suffer the effects of this depleted uranium in years to come.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-lindorff/depleted-uranium-weapons_b_326547.html
Killers always deny their crimes. The US is the greatest global killer, and the biggest global liar. Thanks for calling them out, Dave, and b-e.
Yes to this thread and our veterans know ofthe skulduggery here because they’re sick too just as thet was in Vietnam with Agent Orange. It will be up to Veteran Organizations to expose the illegal higherarchy war crimes…
USA white phosphorous on Fallujah and Zionist white phosphorous in Gaza.
Napalm is no picnic either.
“…don’t hold your breath for the part where Fox News and the BBC turn around and start asking critical questions of the governments that they are meant to be holding to account.”
Oddly, Tucker Carlson on Fox has been one of the few voices of reason in mainstream media in regards to this recent attack. And Laura Ingraham has been less than compliant as well.
Please see “Syria and the Revolt of the ‘Deplorables’”, https://original.antiwar.com/justin/2018/04/15/syria-and-the-revolt-of-the-deplorables/
Hans Castorp – thanks for posting that article. It was well-written. The public are starting to understand what globalism really means and how it hasn’t benefited them at all, and they are just beginning to open their eyes to the lies they are being told by their government.
Tucker Carlson’s monologue last Monday was excellent (I’ll post it again down below). I wish everyone could have listened to what he had to say. I checked out Laura Ingraham’s segment with the colonel and Sebastian Gorka. Gorka was getting a little hot under the collar and sounded like an idiot. He has totally bought into the neocon narrative that Assad, days from victory, would be stupid enough to act against his own interests and use chemical weapons. I’m never going to waste my time listening to that guy again.
This really is a war between the globalists and the nationalists.
I’ll suggest that economic globalism is not a factor in the ME, where the US can buy what it needs like everyone else without militarism. We have had very little competition from Russia to worry economic globalists, and the US has not attacked even major competitors. Globalism is really an economic issue.
Even KSA received very little military support, and only for profit, until it began sending jihadis and cash to fight for Israel. The only US faction concerned in the Mideast is zionism, and they are clearly the ones behind US militarism in the Mideast, and cause the wars by their control of US mass media and elections.
Sam F – I don’t think globalism only applies to “economics”. Of course the U.S. can buy oil anywhere and if they can’t buy it, they’ll just take it. They have the might. But in the end everything comes down to economics, and power and control.
“Globalism: the operation or planning of economic and foreign policy on a global basis.” That’s the first thing that popped up on my screen when I searched for “globalism definition”. Foreign policy is included in that definition.
Trump doesn’t want war, he doesn’t want control of the Middle East. He wants to stop the wars, end or cut back NATO, bring jobs back, control the borders, negotiate fair trade agreements, correct the trade imbalance, rebuild infrastructure, and cooperate with other countries. He could be considered a nationalist.
It is the globalists who want to control the whole world through economics and foreign policy; a 360 degree Rome.
The term globalism suggested to me a neutral philosophy applicable anywhere but not focused on the Mideast. Geopolitical agendas do often include economic goals, Brzezinski “containment” of non-expansionist Russia, or general imperialism, and international finance does have widespread influence. Because global strategists do not actually attack China or have concern about India or Brazil, and the MIC wants militarism anywhere, it appears that only the zionists seek militarism in the Mideast or confrontation of Russia to exclude it there. No doubt the global strategists and MIC are readily recruited to such regional conflicts.
I agree Backwards. Globalism is just another name for the old game of Empire and its Oligarchy, ROME is entirely correct, as many of these oligarchs, scattered throughout Europe and Britain, come from dynastic families, some of which trace their bloodlines directly back to the Oligarchs left standing after the collapse of the old Roman Empire, who high-tailed it to the Venice region with their caravans of filthy lucre. And the MENA region is seen by them as THEIR Imperial Provinces hi-jacked by Muslim interlopers who interrupted Eastern Roman Empire’s attempt at reconquering lost Provinces when the Muslim Movement struck the World stage like wildfire. Of course the “Children” of the Old Roman Empire were the succeeding Holy Roman Empire, then the national Empires of Britain, France, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and their colonial possessions (N.America, S. America, Central America, Australia, NZ, “French Northwest Africa”, the British “ribbon” that ran down from Egypt to South Africa, the Middle East area, after delivering the coup de grace to the Ottoman Empire in WWI, and carving out new colonial territories from their dead carcass, the Indian SubContinent, much of Asia…Remember Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Opium Wars, Khyber Pass?). Then there is the matter of Synarchie Internationale, precursors to Fascism and NAZIism (“Oligarchs of the World UNITE! You have nothing to lose but your piddling National Empires and gain a Global Empire for all eternity!”). They despise all People’s Movements, dirigist (most successful as its known as the mixed economic system combining Public and Private sectors; AKA the American System of Political Economy as created by Hamilton, championed by Lincoln and FDR, a directed public credit system and not a speculative monetary system), socialist, communist, anarchist, localist, etc…
Sam F – China has got nothing to offer, aside from cheap labor and no environmental controls. Those two things are THEIR commodities and the U.S. multinationals have become filthy rich off of them (along with the Chinese 1%).
The Middle East’s commodity is oil (they’re not there for the sand), and the U.S. multinationals, along with other oil and gas corporations in the West, plan on having it. As you say, they could easily buy it, but what they can’t buy is full control, unless they can cut off Russia, Iran, Iraq and Syria from developing a northern corridor out to the Mediterranean.
If you control the flow of oil (or money), you can shut it off at any time and then control the PRICE. They do it all the time. Sanction a few countries (Venezuela, Russia, Iran), then get Saudi Arabia and UAE to cut their production (for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter what), thereby forcing prices up. Want the prices to come down to punish Russia and Iran, get your friends to dump oil into the market. Voila, the price is driven down.
It’s another weapon in the tool kit, equally as powerful as any bomb. They want to own the oil and control the price. Try taking some of their oil money away from them to give it to your country’s citizens, and you will be hammered into the ground.
To perhaps put it a bit more clearly, control of every one of the 535 members of the US Congress.
backwardsevolution, I think you’re right to introduce that “complexity” here, as it has been clear to me that so called geopolitics has been at the very heart of our American dilemma going back to the alignment of countries post WWI and likely before that. Putin and Lavrov nearly always mention the importance of sovereign rights with respect to negotiations which is a concept that has become blurred by our military and state departments. In fact, going all the way back to Native American treatment, Sovereign Rights is a concept that America has never properly addressed.
Bob Van Noy – yes, right from the get-go it’s been the acquisition and control of more and more territory, and then the losers get to rent it back, if they’re lucky.
Yes and Michael Hudson has been very clear about this…
http://michael-hudson.com
Sam F, I share your skepticism about the effects of economics on our behavior in the Middle East. I always wondered what nations like Iraq with lots of oil were going to do with it if they wouldn”t sell it to us. The all about oil mantra always seemed like a convenient smoke screen. .
I have said this before. It is not the oil in itself, it is who gets to make the money. Any country that doesn’t follow the western globalist economic model is targeted. The oil can always be gotten later when the right people get to make the money. It is an extension of Perkin’s “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.” Syria’s Golan heights has oil that the Israeli’s are letting US owned Genie Energy extract. Assad would probably make a deal with those “evil Ruskies” instead.
Skip, I don’t know where you see greater oil profits in Mideast militarism. It reduces the number of willing suppliers, reduces extraction business, damages facilities, creates risks, etc.
1. The US has no prospect of getting free oil in the Mideast, and has not for a long time;
2. All oil companies can buy oil from anyone at the same price, no cheaper after attacks;
3. Very little Iraq oil is sold to the US, and enemies reduce the suppliers of Mideast oil;
4. The Golan oil is the only Mideast oil in contest, and we could buy it from Syria if we had not attacked them. So the only motive there is again Israel.
Many gesture at oil profits as a motive, but the profits are greater without the militarism.
I don’t see Perkins work as applicable because he is concerned with loan profits.
But as I noted, I am not an economist, so I won’t claim to have the answers there.
Perhaps you or others with more study in economic globalism can clarify.
‘Herman – “I always wondered what nations like Iraq with lots of oil were going to do with it if they wouldn”t sell it to us.”
Oh, they’d sell their oil to someone. If it’s priced right, someone will always take it off your hands.
Destroying nations that do not sell oil for USA dollars, as planned in Iraq , Libya , and Syria is financial globalism motive. Globalism is “Full Spectrum Dominance”.
No doubt there is some advantage there, but the gain of having oil traded in USD seems not really a means of commercial dominance. It does not appear to affect US imports or exports, the balance of trade, or the GNP. If they do not want USD they sell less oil.
Perhaps it is a tipping-point, that without that trade the USD becomes a less common reserve currency, fewer will buy US bonds, etc. But that is not clear, and appears to mainly facilitate the mistake of running up US debt.
I am not an economist, but find their claims very suspect, especially on Mideast issues.
@ Sam F: “Globalism is really an economic issue.”
Globalism would be impossible without the military force necessary to defend and enforce it.
In the case of Syria, I doubt that Israeli right-wingers’ desire for disruption alone would be a sufficient interest for the U.S. to intervene militarily. But Syria is also at a choice location for pipelines that would bring oil and natural gas from the Arabian peninsula and Iran to European markets. There is every reason to believe that the U.S. move to send takfiri mercenaries into Syria in 2011 was because the Syrian government had rejected a Qatari natural gas pipeline and agreed with Iraq and Iran to build a “friendship” pipeline instead to deliver Iranian natural gas to Europe. Because of U.S. policy on Iran and interests of oil companies in a Qatari pipeline, that gave impetus to the Israeli desire for chaos in Syria.
Tucker has a history of doing exactly that.
Harumph. Does this author pretend dust isn’t dangerous? Anyhow, God must have wanted the attack, for those clouds of choking clouds of airborne dirt woudn’t have happened without His strong winds. So there!
Wonder how many other ways this will be “spun”. And what will our rabid little warmonger at the UN say about it? Likely nothing directly, but I expect her to demand more bombs and more sanctions on the very evil Putin.
Plus que ca change, plus que c’est la meme chose. The more they change their story, the more it’s the same old shit.
good one!
You missed her point.It’s not about dust, possibly caused by an explosion in the building, but about the nature f the incident which is being used by the British, the French and their American allies to bring the two nuclear superpowers to the brink of the unthinkable. Could it be more clear?
But Assad “Gassed His Own People!™” (GHOP!™)
The New York Times knows that for an absolute fact because they read the Twitter feed of fake “citizen journalist” Eliot Higgins…
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/us/politics/syria-chemical-weapons-analysis.html
… and consulted a hard-core pro-Israel Lobby think tank, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP).
WINEP is a spin-off the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). WINEP fellows have been frequently cited advocating escalated action against Syria and Iran.
WINEP vigorously advocates the “regime change” policies pushed by other pro-Israel Lobby groups groups such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA),
The Board of Directors for WINEP includes such luminaries as Nixon-era Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Senator Joe Lieberman, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, SAIS professors Michael Mandelbaum and Eliot Cohen, former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, New Republic editor Martin Peretz, former Defense Policy Board chair Richard Perle, former Air Force Secretary James Roche, former Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former CIA director and noted neoconservative activist James Woolsey, and U.S. News and World Report publisher Mortimer Zuckerman.
Important Iraq war hawk Paul Wolfowitz previously served as an adviser to the group, as did the late Secretaries of State Warren Christopher and Lawrence Eagleburger, former diplomat Max M. Kampelman, and CSIS scholar Edward Luttwak.
And Higgins, well, he “verified” a bunch of White helmets videos, so shut up the hell up everybody!
Thanks for the encouragement Caitlin. It gets lonely down here in the trenches with the truth, and nobody seeming to listen. But if digging up and publishing the truth will not save us, I honestly don’t know what will. We have the antidote to the poisonous lies being spread, we just have to keep trying to get it to the people who desperately need it.
Yes, a very well done and properly spirited article, with fine denunciations of the zionist mass media. Thank you.
I agree. At this point in history, so-called “objective journalism” is seldom found. The main point is that Assad is still in power, and the West is outraged as a result. In terms of power politics, this also suggests the Russians can play on equal terms with the US.
@phillip…
“In terms of power politics, this also suggests the Russians can play on equal terms with the US.”
They can? Then how do you explain the “stand-down” order during the allied military strike last week?
What was the cumulative damage done to Syria? Possibly similar to the minor damage done in the previous attack?
Some Youtube sites had an interesting spin: This was a coordinated effort by Trump, Putin, and Assad to actually hit MI6/CIA-sponsored rebel positions, in continuation of Trump’s intention to stop regime-change wars, and take down the Deep State IC (“drain thew swamp”). Russia stood down, and Assad left town for a few days, to let Trump gob-smack Deep State ops in Syria. Syrian and Russian troops were not the target. There is a global “Civil War” between “Deep State (read: “Black Nobility oligarchs, and all of their organizations like Synarchy Internationale, Cecil Rhodes’ Round Table, Bilderbergers, CFR, Davos, Tavistock, CIA, MI6, et al…and the “ratlined” NAZI/Fascist assets smuggled into the west and USA”), and Constitutional Governments of typical democratic Republic character. In this case the military stands with Trump and is deploying against the IC nest of treasonous vipers. Good storyline, and hangs together well, but few trust-worthy news sources, so who knows?
The order you cite probably had something to do with the fact that the US military had been in contact with the RF military before the demonstration (calling it a strike would be too generous). Furthermore, it’s already being surmised that France gave the Russians and the Syrians a heads up as well.
As for whether or not Russia can compete with USA in power politics, compare who the Russians have in their top diplomatic positions with who the US has in theirs…try not to weep or laugh too hard at the comparison.
How do you explain that no Russians or Syrians were killed in this Trump face saving attack, which militarily appears to have achieved absolutely nothing, other than force Russia to provide the Syrian army with a modern air defence system?
@ Al Pinto: “They can? Then how do you explain the “stand-down” order during the allied military strike last week?”
What stand-down order? The Russian military said they would respond *if any Russians were endangered by the strikes.* The strikes carefully avoided any Russians, hence no need for the Russians to respond to stay true to their word.
But it’s also clear from post-strike information that the Russian military was right on top of the situation and were ready to respond if their warning went unheeded. They have provided detailed information about the strikes that could only be derived from their ABM defensive network’s radar.
Russia, i.e. the world’s leading nuclear superpower, as well as the government of Syria, maintain that they have incontrovertible proof that the “White Helmets,” hoax was staged at the encouragement of Ms Mayhem to poison US-Russian relations Considering that the Blair dossier on WMD resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands, and that the consequences and stakes are much higher now in Syria, should we not have a congressional investigation of the role of the British and their French poodle, Macron, in duping the President into going back on his recent promise to withdraw? The President rightly condemned the dossier of “former” MI6 agent Christopher Steele as lies, so why take the equally dubious “White Helmets” video at face value?
j.D.D. – they all know it’s a hoax. This is all a distraction. Read the article that Jessika posted further down the page.
You and I know that, but not so the American people. The truth needs to come out of the darkness, as the WaPo likes to say. It is not a distraction, but a threat which could, easily by miscalculation, lead to a third and final World War. Just as British miscalculation led to the previous world wars, only this time it would be fought with nuclear weapons.
j.D.D. – yes, it’s a shame that all Americans aren’t on this website, isn’t it? Things would change fast if they were. You know, they warned the Russians ahead of time re the bombing in April of 2017, and they did it again this time. Why didn’t they tell the American people that this was done? It would have allayed their fears. A lot of people were worrying themselves sick over the prospect of World War III.
In hindsight, I don’t think we were ever close to a war breaking out. As you said, it’s the darkness, the opaqueness that does the harm.
@JDD I think you giving Trump way too much benefit of any doubt here. He must have known that the “gas attack” was a hoax of some sort but he has heartily played along with the hoaxers because it suited the interests of either himself and/or his manipulators.
Forgive my repetition as I have left similar comments elsewhere.
This is important reporting, which is why the snarky sarcasm and adolescent, emotive style is so off putting. I’m extremely interested in the content but find it very hard to take seriously.
What snarky criticism are you referring to?
I think Laualie meant realistic criticism.
May I suggest you avoid the articles/essays entirely except for skimming them for links to writing styles which better suit you?
Oh, and skipping the comment section might also be a good idea.
Sarcasm in the comments section is to be expected and enjoyed. I’ll keep reading things here and calling for changes that I think are important.
Great idea
@ Laualie: “… the snarky sarcasm and adolescent, emotive style is so off putting.”
You must absolutely hate reading Mark Twain. Personally, I’m grateful for the information and find a dash of humor a great break from decades of reading legal writing.
Ugh! That Twain. Sooo snarky!
The War Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVYIRbmxHpc
Love Twain. I come here for independent news and educated insight but find Ms. Johnstone’s style off-putting. As a new comer to CN perhaps I’m expecting the wrong thing. I grew tired of the constant hammering of Russia-gate in the NYT and WaPo and sought alternatives. I found some truly great articles from Mr. Parry that called out those in power, and maintained a professional tone The tone of this article, not the content, is reminiscent of the outfield conspiracy content I see too many places.
Like I said, maybe the wrong place. But I’m not leaving yet.
Your comments are not relevant to this article and as such it would seem that you are almost certainly trolling on behalf of one or more of the many parties who are less than interested in the truth emerging about this bizarre incident.
Not a troll at all. I find what’s being reported on extremely important and hate to see it cheapened by expletives and distracting jokes and sarcasm. I respect anyone’s take that it’s appropriate and enjoyable, but disagree. On something this big, the facts and educated insight are much more powerful when they stand alone.
Perhaps I haven’t dug deep enough into Mr. Parry’s past contributions but what I have read stands out as powerful and professional.
Laualie,
You haven’t stated one substantial factum. If you have a rebuttal to Caity article, just say it. If it is TIRESOME, ALREADY! for you to hear another narrative to the MSM ——————— then can you imagine what the NBC, CBS, MSNBC, NYTimes, WaPo have been doing for decades.
CT is providing, replete with LINKS!, to those who desire to keep an open mind, a different narrative. You seem to be desirous of stifling this new narrative. Which is fine. But can’t we keep to the facts, mam.
May I suggest that the use of the word “propaganda” by Ms. Johnstone is counter-productive? It is my hope that this fine site will attract more readers, including people who are initially prone to believe what they see/hear in the mainstream media. I don’t think they will take kindly to hear that their treasured sources are propagandists. Use that word and I expect that you’ll lose them before you have a chance to make your case.
This is an otherwise excellent article. I wish I could show it to certain people but I won’t because I fear the language would be a barrier.
I completely agree with your view of the tone. I’d rather the author convince by building an irrefutable case instead of suggesting that any opposing point of view is completely ridiculous and held only by morons.
Laflemm, that is exactly what I mean. I see it too many places where THAT we know becomes more important than WHAT we know.
The contemptuous treatment given by empire mouthpieces to those who manage to get a word of truth in need exactly the kind of dismissal Caity is celebrated for. Let them flee with their tail between their legs and take their rubbish with them.
They belong in the stocks, faces smeared with rotten tomatoes.