Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Sam Dagher and Syrian rebel propaganda

First look how how documents his reporting on HIzbullah: "In interviews with Mr. Tasht and several other fighters affiliated to Hezbollah". But then he concedes: "Attempts to reach a Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut were unsuccessful. A member of Lebanon's parliament representing the movement's political wing also declined to comment.".  You read this and know that bullshit is coming your way.  But most importantly: what does "fighters affiliated to Hezbollah mean? Free Syrian Army fighters?  And then he says this: "Attempts to reach a Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut were unsuccessful. A member of Lebanon's parliament representing the movement's political wing also declined to comment." But does not tell you that the site in question is in fact hostile to Hizbullah and has no credibility whatsoever in its reporting on Hizbullah. But hell: the case is propaganda and not journalism and who cares, right?  But then for Mr. Dagher: who is a most objective source about Hizbullah than Syrian rebels: "he was surprised at what he saw as the greenness and naiveté of the recent Hezbollah recruits from Lebanon and their lack of arms and equipment."  I read this and said to myself: if those green and naive fighters of Hizbullah were able to really resoundingly defeat Syrian rebels, what would have the non-green and non-naive fighters of the party done? Israel must be very nervous.