MSM Fake news over Douma chemical weapons report

VIDEO: BBC NEWS JOINS FAKE NEWS SCANDAL OVER OPCW’S DOUMA CHLORINE REPORT

Skwawkbox,

7 July, 2018

As the SKWAWKBOX reported not long ago, the BBC News website published outright fake news on Friday evening when it reported that the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) ‘fact-finding mission’ to the Syrian town of Douma had concluded that a chlorine gas attack had been perpetrated on civilians in the city.

The OPCW had said nothing of the sort – but just now the BBC News channel joined in the Trumpian misrepresentation of what the report stated:

The OPCW report states – very clearly – that no conclusions have yet been reached.

The family of chemicals it reported finding – compounds, not pure chlorine – are common in fire extinguishers, insect sprays and other common products, as well as in fridges, machinery and cleaning products.

The OPCW reported finding ‘explosive residue’ too – but in a city that has suffered many months of heavy military bombardment, it would be astonishing if the OPCW inspectors had not found residues.

The BBC’s status as the Establishment’s propaganda mouthpiece was exposed – and the reason it is so eager to convince about Douma was also included in the report shown above: the UK, along with the US and France, launched military action on Syria.

That action must be justified – even though it’s clear from on-site footage of the wreckage shown by the BBC at the time that the ‘chemical weapons facilities’ hit were nothing of the sort.

Syria - Mainstream Media Lie About Watchdog Report On The 'Chemical Attack' In Douma

Moon of Alabama,

7 July, 2018

Some mainstream media are outright lying about the OPCW report on the alleged 'chemical attack' in Douma.

The Washington Post writes:

[A] global watchdog concluded that chlorine was indeed used in the city of Douma a day before rebel forces surrendered there.
...
In an interim report released Friday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said its inspectors had discovered traces of “various chlorinated organic chemicals” across two sites it inspected.

The OPCW did not conclude at all that "chlorine was indeed used". It found some chemical compounds which have chlorine, carbon and hydrogen in various configurations as their main elements. There are hundreds if not thousands of "chlorinated organic chemicals". A plastic pipe made from polyvenylchlorid (PVC = (C₂H₃Cl)_n) is made of the same elements. One could call it a "chlorinated organic chemical". Burning something made of PVC will releases various compounds many of which will themselves be "chlorinated organic chemicals". But finding residues of a burned plastic pipe or isolation in a home does not mean that chlorine gas was used in that place. Several of the compounds the OPCW found result from using chlorine to disinfect water. They can be found within the chlorinated water and about anywhere where chlorinated water was used. 

The BBC made a similar 'mistake'. It headlined "Syria war: Douma attack was chlorine gas - watchdog".

It took extensive social-media outrage and several hours for the BBC to correct its 'mistake'. It now headlines: Syria war: 'Possible chlorine' at Douma attack site - watchdog. That is better but still a lie. Nowhere do the OPCW report or its Technical Statement (pdf) use the expression 'possible chlorine'. No editorial note was added by the BBC to reveal that the original dispatch was changed.

The Daily Beast headlines: Watchdog: Chlorine Was Used in Syria’s Chemical Attack

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons determined that chlorine was used in the chemical attack in the Syrian town of Douma, but found no evidence that nerve agents were involved.

That is an outright lie. The OPCW report does not say that chlorine was used. It mentions chlorine only twice and only in relation to previous incidents.

The Independent, AlJazeerah, the Australian ABC News and others offer the same lie to their readers.

A possible reason why so many outlets made this 'mistake' is the British news agency Reuterswhich first distributed this false claim:

Reuters has since changed the headline and text of that item from "chlorine" to "chlorinated chemicals" but attached no note of that change. Moreover it does not explain that "chlorinated chemicals" will be found about anywhere.

It is doubtful that these 'mistakes' were made out of sloppiness. The writers likely intend to create the false impression that Syria was responsible for a 'chemical attack' that did not happen. They would further have to explain that the U.S., France and the UK launched a  large cruise missile attack on Syria without any reason.