‘Aid-delivering’
Syrian rebels: NYT shows warm, fuzzy side of Al-Qaeda in Idlib
RT,
3
September, 2019
A
New York Times report warning of an impending bloodbath in Idlib
downplays the fact that the Syrian province is controlled by Al-Qaeda
affiliated terrorists, portraying the “rebels” as
humanitarian-minded administrators.
“Millions
of civilians are dreading what comes next” in
Idlib, the New York Times reports,
after presumably consulting with most of the province’s estimated
three million inhabitants. In a true masterpiece of
euphemism-infested journalism, the Times has turned the operation to
liberate Idlib from a US-designated terrorist
group on its head, bemoaning the uncertain fate of the “rebel
fighters and their civilian supporters who rose up more than seven
years ago demanding regime change.”
Scroll
about 20 paragraphs down and the Gray Lady notes with a dismissive
air that Syria’s deputy prime minister called these brave
fighters “terrorists” (scare-quote
credit: NYT) during an interview with Russian (yes, Russian!)
television on Saturday. The paper then provides crucial context to
help counter this cynical Kremlin soundbite, pointing out that while
it’s true that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), “which
is affiliated with Al-Qaeda,” has
controlled much of Idlib since 2015, there’s more to Al-Qaeda
affiliation than meets the eye. After all, the State
Department-designated terrorist group has dutifully acted as “a
de facto governmental authority, facilitating trade across the long
border with Turkey and organizing aid deliveries.”
Only in paragraph 21 does @nytimes tell readers Idlib "rebel fighters" are Al Qaeda. And that Al Qaeda no longer considered terrorists, but scare-quotes "'terrorists'" who "facilitate trade" and "organize aid deliveries" like a relief agency NGOnytimes.com/2018/09/02/wor…
Seventeen
years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the New York Times is
now writing articles commending Al-Qaeda affiliates for their
aid-delivering abilities. No mention of reports of
their chemical weapon stockpiles, however.
Five
paragraphs later, the New York Times nonchalantly discloses that HTS
– characterized as “rebels”, “fighters”, “rebel
fighters”, “rebel
forces”,
and “Syria’s
strongest rebel faction” throughout
its mind-melting article – has been “officially
declared” a
terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and even
Turkey.
Perhaps
unsurprisingly, for many of these “fighters” –
especially “foreigners
who have moved to Syria to help defeat the government” –
surrender is not an option, the Times informs us.
A “fighter” who
spoke to the paper said that he and his comrades were frustrated
because “we
came for jihad” and
not “to
have truces and to kneel before the Turks.” The
terrorist – sorry, “fighter” –
only provided his first name to reporters, “out
of fear for his safety.”
And
of course, the paper inserts the obligatory swipe at Russia, quoting
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s comment that Idlib is a “festering
abscess” that
needs to be drained. No mention of Lavrov’s efforts to
negotiate a humanitarian corridor that would ensure the safe and
orderly evacuation of civilians, however.
In
a testament to the newspaper’s complete lack of self-awareness, the
article notes that Turkey has “worked” with
HTS, “despite
its affiliation with Al Qaeda, as both have shared a desire to unseat
Mr. Assad.”
Seems
like Erdogan isn’t the only one who can overlook a few foibles in
the pursuit of regime change.
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