Friday, January 31, 2014

Anne Barnard on the performance of the Syrian opposition in Geneva (versus the account in the Washington Post): when the propaganda is too crude even by WP's standards

Anne Barnard:  "Louay Safi, an opposition spokesman, was tested when a representative of the state-run SANA news agency asserted that in a government-blockaded area “there are no civilians, only terrorists,” and asked if efforts to get food there aimed to “save the terrorists.”  “Two good questions, and I thank you for them,” Mr. Safi said, before calmly answering."

Liz Sly (who is no less an advocate of the Syrian rebels than Barnard):  "“Shame on you,” a correspondent for an opposition television station screamed at a journalist for the state-controlled media, who wore a button bearing Assad’s portrait pinned to his lapel. “You are wearing the picture of a murderer.” “And you are a terrorist,” the journalist yelled back, an exchange that summed up the essence of the divide."