The truth nothing but the truth

THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES OBSERVER MISSION TO SYRIA MISSION REPORT

The Mission report confirms what I have been arguing all along: that the situation in SYRIA is not the way it is portrayed by mainstream media and certain WESTERN governments.

Could the real reason for the withdrawal of the LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES OBSERVER MISSION TO SYRIA was not because of violence but the fact that the content of the report did not fit into the agenda of certain WESTERN POWERS who envision a different outcome for SYRIA?

It seems that mainstream media, under the influence of the world power brokers deliberately “downplay” the content of the report because the results of the findings would in most likelihood change public opinion, something the power elite does not want.

Here are some extracts to that effect:

In Homs and Dera‘a, the Mission observed armed groups committing acts of violence against

Government forces, resulting in death and injury among their ranks. In certain situations, Government forces responded to attacks against their personnel with force. The observers noted that some of the armed groups were using flares and armour-piercing projectiles

In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.

The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.
The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 in preparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.

Since it began its work, the Mission has been the target of a vicious media campaign. Some media outlets have published unfounded statements, which they attributed to the Head of the Mission. They have also grossly exaggerated events, thereby distorting the truth.
Such contrived reports have helped to increase tensions among the Syrian people and undermined the observers’ work. Some media organizations were exploited in order to defame the Mission and its Head and cause the Mission to fail.

The Mission received reports from parties outside Syria indicating that the number of detainees was16,237. It also received information from the opposition inside the country that the number of detainees was 12,005. In validating those figures, the teams in the field discovered that there were discrepancies between the lists that information was missing and inaccurate, and that names were repeated. The Mission is communicating with the concerned Government agencies to confirm those numbers

The Mission noted that the Government strived to help it succeed in its task and remove any barriers that might stand in its way. The Government also facilitated meetings with all parties. No restrictions were placed on the movement of the Mission and its ability to interview Syrian citizens, both those who opposed the Government and those loyal to it.

Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission’s credibility because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar missions.

Last but not least the statement below reiterates what I have claimed regarding communication restrictions in Syria. See: http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com/2012/02/syrian-agenda.html

The Mission communicates with the various groups by mobile phones and facsimile machines

connected to the local Syrian telephone network. Occasional cuts in service prevent the Mission from communicating with the groups. Internet service is unavailable in some regions, and in other areas it is intermittent, including in the capital.

The full report can be viewed under:

http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/Report_of_Arab_League_Observer_Mission.pdf

To reiterate my views, here is an interesting article on subject matter from a German Middle East Expert: Professor Günther Meyer :

Syrien: Orientexperte erhebt schwere Vorwürfe gegen den Westen 

 

Als vor wenigen Tagen die Beobachtermission der Arabischen Liga in Syrien gestoppt wurde, war die Sachlage in den Medien klar: Assad hat die Gewalt nicht beendet, das Morden Unschuldiger geht weiter. Unterdessen liefert die in London ansässige Syrische Beobachtungsstelle für Menschenrechte Informationen über die genaue Situation und die Zahl der Toten. Überprüfbar sind die Informationen natürlich nicht, dennoch werden sie unkritisch von allen Medien zitiert.

Nun hat der Orientexperte Prof. Dr Günther Meyer  von der Universität Mainz in einem Interview des Radiosenders Bayern 2 eine ganz andere Wahrheit verbreitet. Die Frage, ob die Beobachtermission gescheitert sei, verneint er klar. So sei die Zahl der Toten deutlich gesunken, sehr viele Gefangene seien freigelassen worden und überhaupt würden die westlichen Medien das völlig falsche Bild vermitteln, dass es sich einzig um Gewalt des Regimes gegen friedliche Demonstranten handeln würde. Meyer schildert eine völlig andere Sachlage:

Es ist ganz offensichtlich, dass wir es mit einer bewaffneten terroristischen Organisation zu tun haben, die für einen sehr großen Teil der Toten im Lande ebenfalls verantwortlich ist. Das ist durchaus auch in dieser Situation herausgekommen. Das heißt, wir haben eine klare Anti-Sichtweise gegen das Regime, eine Sichtweise, die massiv gestärkt wird durch die Interessen insbesondere der USA, aber auch durch die westlichen Verbündeten England, Frankreich, nicht zuletzt auch Deutschland. Es geht in erster Linie darum, die Achse Iran, Syrien, Hisbollah auszuschalten.

Der Radiomoderator fragt irritiert, es klinge „fast wie eine westliche Verschwörung gegen Syrien“. Meyer erhebt daraufhin schwere Vorwürfe gegen den Westen, der in Syrien einen Bürgerkrieg entfachen würde:

Wir haben es mit einem massiven Eingreifen von außen zu tun. Nicht zuletzt Berichte darüber, dass etwa 600 Mudschaheddin aus Libyen eingeflogen sind, initiiert vom CIA. CIA-Beamte, Geheimdienstbeamte, Frankreich und Großbritannien genauso, bilden Oppositionelle aus, rüsten sie aus in der Nähe von Iskenderia, nahe der syrischen Grenze, rüsten sie aus mit den Waffen, die aus den Arsenalen von Gaddafi herübergebracht werden, um hier einen Bürgerkrieg zu initiieren, um das Land insgesamt zu schwächen.

Auch betont Meyer, dass Assad nach wie vor die Mehrheit des syrischen Volkes hinter sich hat, wie eine Untersuchung der Katar-Stiftung ergeben habe. Dieses kurze Radiointerview präsentiert die Situation in Syrien völlig anders, als wir es seit Monaten in den Medien zu hören bekommen. Wie schon beim Libyeneinsatz handelt es sich auch hier aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach um geostrategische Maßnahmen des Westens, die durch massive Propaganda verheimlicht werden. 

Sollten Meyers Vorwürfe stimmen und tatsächlich durch westliche Geheimdienstaktivitäten ein Bürgerkrieg ausgelöst werden, dann wäre Assad kaum vorzuwerfen, dass er diesen von außen initiierten Umsturzversuch mit Militärgewalt niederschlägt. Die Leidtragenden sind die Zivilisten.