A Tomahawk attack that accomplished nothing- while Aleppo Syria is abandoned
A Boston Globe opinion in Letter to the Editor
Although this opinion was written in February, the timeliness of the information is salient today. In spite of what's going on in Syria, the Tomahawk attack accomplished absolutely nothing. Stephen Kinzer writes an expert perspective about the complexities of the actual Syrian situation- focus, Aleppo.
by Stephen Kinzer FEBRUARY 18, 2016
Although this opinion was written in February, the timeliness of the information is salient today. In spite of what's going on in Syria, the Tomahawk attack accomplished absolutely nothing. Stephen Kinzer writes an expert perspective about the complexities of the actual Syrian situation- focus, Aleppo.
by Stephen Kinzer FEBRUARY 18, 2016
Stephen Kinzer: American author, journalist and academic. He was a New York Times correspondent
COVERAGE OF the Syrian war, (YouTube video): It will be remembered as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the American press. Reporting about carnage in the ancient city of Aleppo is (one of) the latest reasons why.
For three years, violent militants have run Aleppo. Their rule began with a wave of repression. They posted notices warning residents: “Don’t send your children to school. If you do, we will get the backpack and you will get the coffin.” Then they destroyed factories, hoping that unemployed workers would have no recourse other than to become fighters. They trucked looted machinery to Turkey and sold it.
In February, Aleppo citizens finally saw glimmers of hope. The Syrian army and its allies were pushing militants out of the city. In fact, they reclaimed the main power plant. Regular electricity was anticipated to be restored. The militants’ hold on the city might have been ending. (HELLO? Americans didn't hear this report, at least not while I've been following the Syrian situation!)
Militants, true to form, were wreaking havoc as they were pushed out of the city by Russian and Syrian Army forces. “Turkish-Saudi backed ‘moderate rebels’ showered the residential neighborhoods of Aleppo with unguided rockets and gas jars,” one Aleppo resident wrote on social media. The Beirut-based analyst Marwa Osma asked, “The Syrian Arab Army, led by President Bashar Assad, is the only force on the ground, along with their allies, who are fighting ISIS — so you want to weaken the only system that is fighting ISIS?”
This does not fit with Washington’s narrative. As a result, much of the American press is reporting the opposite of what is actually happening. Many news reports suggest that Aleppo has been a “liberated zone” for three years, but is now being pulled back into misery.
Americans are being told that the virtuous course in Syria is to fight the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian partners. We are supposed to hope that a righteous coalition of Americans, Turks, Saudis, Kurds, and the “moderate opposition” will win.
This is convoluted nonsense, but Americans cannot be blamed for believing it. Indeed, we have almost no real information about the combatants, their goals, or their tactics. Much blame for this lies with our media. (MaineWriter- unfortunately, the information is too complicated for most Americans to understand. Ugh!)
Under intense financial pressure, most American newspapers, magazines, and broadcast networks have drastically reduced their corps of foreign correspondents. Much important news about the world now comes from reporters based in Washington. In that environment, access and credibility depend on acceptance of official paradigms. Reporters who cover Syria check with the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, and think tank “experts.” After a spin on that soiled carousel, they feel they have covered all sides of the story. This form of stenography produces the pabulum that passes for news about Syria.
Astonishingly brave correspondents in the war zone, including Americans, seek to counteract Washington-based reporting. At great risk to their own safety, these reporters are pushing to find the truth about the Syrian war. Their reporting often illuminates the darkness of group think. Yet for many consumers of news, their voices are lost in the cacophony. Reporting from the ground is often overwhelmed by the Washington consensus.
Washington-based reporters tell us that one potent force in Syria, al-Nusra, is made up of “rebels” or “moderates,” not that it is the local al-Qaeda franchise. Saudi Arabia is portrayed as aiding freedom fighters when in fact it is a prime sponsor of ISIS. Turkey has for years been running a “rat line” for foreign fighters wanting to join terror groups in Syria, but because the United States wants to stay on Turkey’s good side, we hear little about it. Nor are we often reminded that although we want to support the secular and battle-hardened Kurds, Turkey wants to kill them.
For three years, violent militants have run Aleppo. Their rule began with a wave of repression. They posted notices warning residents: “Don’t send your children to school. If you do, we will get the backpack and you will get the coffin.” Then they destroyed factories, hoping that unemployed workers would have no recourse other than to become fighters. They trucked looted machinery to Turkey and sold it.
In February, Aleppo citizens finally saw glimmers of hope. The Syrian army and its allies were pushing militants out of the city. In fact, they reclaimed the main power plant. Regular electricity was anticipated to be restored. The militants’ hold on the city might have been ending. (HELLO? Americans didn't hear this report, at least not while I've been following the Syrian situation!)
Militants, true to form, were wreaking havoc as they were pushed out of the city by Russian and Syrian Army forces. “Turkish-Saudi backed ‘moderate rebels’ showered the residential neighborhoods of Aleppo with unguided rockets and gas jars,” one Aleppo resident wrote on social media. The Beirut-based analyst Marwa Osma asked, “The Syrian Arab Army, led by President Bashar Assad, is the only force on the ground, along with their allies, who are fighting ISIS — so you want to weaken the only system that is fighting ISIS?”
This does not fit with Washington’s narrative. As a result, much of the American press is reporting the opposite of what is actually happening. Many news reports suggest that Aleppo has been a “liberated zone” for three years, but is now being pulled back into misery.
Americans are being told that the virtuous course in Syria is to fight the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian partners. We are supposed to hope that a righteous coalition of Americans, Turks, Saudis, Kurds, and the “moderate opposition” will win.
This is convoluted nonsense, but Americans cannot be blamed for believing it. Indeed, we have almost no real information about the combatants, their goals, or their tactics. Much blame for this lies with our media. (MaineWriter- unfortunately, the information is too complicated for most Americans to understand. Ugh!)
Under intense financial pressure, most American newspapers, magazines, and broadcast networks have drastically reduced their corps of foreign correspondents. Much important news about the world now comes from reporters based in Washington. In that environment, access and credibility depend on acceptance of official paradigms. Reporters who cover Syria check with the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House, and think tank “experts.” After a spin on that soiled carousel, they feel they have covered all sides of the story. This form of stenography produces the pabulum that passes for news about Syria.
Astonishingly brave correspondents in the war zone, including Americans, seek to counteract Washington-based reporting. At great risk to their own safety, these reporters are pushing to find the truth about the Syrian war. Their reporting often illuminates the darkness of group think. Yet for many consumers of news, their voices are lost in the cacophony. Reporting from the ground is often overwhelmed by the Washington consensus.
Washington-based reporters tell us that one potent force in Syria, al-Nusra, is made up of “rebels” or “moderates,” not that it is the local al-Qaeda franchise. Saudi Arabia is portrayed as aiding freedom fighters when in fact it is a prime sponsor of ISIS. Turkey has for years been running a “rat line” for foreign fighters wanting to join terror groups in Syria, but because the United States wants to stay on Turkey’s good side, we hear little about it. Nor are we often reminded that although we want to support the secular and battle-hardened Kurds, Turkey wants to kill them.
Everything Russia and Iran do in Syria is described as negative and destabilizing, simply because it is they who are doing it — and because that is the official line in Washington.
Governments may be excused for promoting whatever narrative they believe best suits them. Journalism, however, is supposed to remain apart from the power elite and its inbred mendacity. In this crisis it has failed miserably.
Americans are said to be ignorant of the world. (Whaaa?) "We are" (?) but so are people in other countries (Hmmm, not so much, says MaineWriter- I disagree with this presumption!).
(Kinzer writes) If people in Bhutan or Bolivia misunderstand Syria, that has no real effect. Our ignorance is more dangerous, because we act on it. The United States has the power to decree the death of nations. It can do so with popular support because many Americans — and many journalists — are content with the official story. In Syria, it is: “Fight Assad, Russia, and Iran! Join with our Turkish, Saudi, and Kurdish friends to support peace!” This is appallingly distant from reality. It is also likely to prolong the war and condemn more Syrians to suffering and death.
Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.
Governments may be excused for promoting whatever narrative they believe best suits them. Journalism, however, is supposed to remain apart from the power elite and its inbred mendacity. In this crisis it has failed miserably.
Americans are said to be ignorant of the world. (Whaaa?) "We are" (?) but so are people in other countries (Hmmm, not so much, says MaineWriter- I disagree with this presumption!).
(Kinzer writes) If people in Bhutan or Bolivia misunderstand Syria, that has no real effect. Our ignorance is more dangerous, because we act on it. The United States has the power to decree the death of nations. It can do so with popular support because many Americans — and many journalists — are content with the official story. In Syria, it is: “Fight Assad, Russia, and Iran! Join with our Turkish, Saudi, and Kurdish friends to support peace!” This is appallingly distant from reality. It is also likely to prolong the war and condemn more Syrians to suffering and death.
Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University.
Follow him on Twitter @stephenkinzer
MaineWriter- Okay Mr. Kinzer, I get that most Americans, including me, know less than nothing about the terrible Syrian situation. Nevertheless, we share the belief that evil President Assad must be removed, tried for War Crimes and executed for genocide. Sadly, President Donald Trump wasted 49 expensive US Tomahawk missiles to destroy a Syrian air base, but the attack accomplished absolutely nothing. As if scripted, Russia acted like they were "shocked...shocked!" by the US attack on Syria, but this international Kabuki theater was a political stunt.
Evidently, America is back to "Syria square one". Donald Trump did not achieve the "huge" victory he wanted to mark on his administration's "score card". At this point, less than 100 days into the Trump administration, and the score is "zero", after two failed bravado raids. Yemen failed, when the elite Seal Team 6, cloak of secrecy, was betrayed. In Syria, the Tomahawk missile attack accomplished absolutely nothing, because the weapons didn't even damage the air base runways. These are facts Americans can "get".
Kinzer- "....appallingly distant from reality...." Indeed!
Labels: Stephen Kinzer, The Boston Globe
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