Thursday, April 14, 2011

Aljazeera and Syria

Aljazeera, despite years of good relations between the Qatari and Syrian regimes, never covered Syria uncritically.  I think that the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood always pushed it to provide a negative coverage of the Syrian regime (given the role of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood).  But lately, there is a shift: the coverage became more negative and government propagandists are visibly mocked and ridiculed (which is fine by my standards if Aljazeera employs the same tactics with, say, Saudi and NATO propagandists), and lately the channel relies on sensational Saudi propaganda sheets for coverage.  Today, Aljazeera event cited the more sensational and unreliable propaganda Saudi outlet, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat (mouthpiece of Prince Salman and his sons), in its reference to a "secret Syrian intelligence" document.  I mean, I detest the Syrian regime and have wanted its overthrow since 1976, but this is so clearly made up.  The paper admits it lifted it from a Facebook pages, and it alleges instructions--in writing mind you--urging goons of the regime to kill a certain number and to even shoot at soldiers.  With Saudi media, I cite the Babylonian Talmud: they lie even when they tell the truth.