The Washington Post‘s Anne Gearan reports today (5/22/13) that Iran is in the thick of the Syria war, according to an anonymous U.S. official:
Iran has sent soldiers to Syria to fight alongside forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia, a senior State Department official said Tuesday.
An unknown number of Iranians are fighting in Syria, the official said, citing accounts from members of the opposition Free Syrian Army, which is backed by the United States. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview a strategy session that Secretary of State John F. Kerry is to hold Wednesday with key supporters of the Syrian opposition.
The rationale for granting anonymity–a privilege that outlets are supposed to extend only rarely–is curious; it’s not clear why the government would need to say things anonymously in order “to preview a strategy session” about Syria.
Even more curious, though, is whether or not the source in question actually said this. At EA Worldview (5/22/13), Scott Lucas took a look at the briefing that produced the story, and what the State Department official actually said was this:
It is the most visible effort we have seen of Hezbollah to engage directly in the fighting in Syria as a foreign force. We understand there are also Iranians up there. That is what the Free Syrian Army commanders are telling us. I think this is an important thing to note, the direct implication of foreigners fighting on Syrian soil now for the regime.
Anne Gearan
Suggesting that the Free Syrian Army believes Iranians are in Syria–which is probably true–is not the same thing as saying “Iran has sent soldiers to Syria” to fight on Assad’s behalf. And in answering followup questions, the anonymous State Department official admits that “to be very frank, I don’t have any estimates of numbers and I don’t know that they are directly involved in the fighting.” The source also says the Iranians “could be doing a little of both advising and fighting” and that “the reports that we’re getting…are not consistent.”
But Gearan’s question at the briefing would strongly suggest that she was pushing a stronger line about Iranian involvement than the anonymous source:
Are we now, based on your earlier comments about Iranian fighters being involved, looking at a proxy war? I mean, you’re talking about arming the rebels on one side, and the Iranians are clearly arming the others and fighting on behalf of the others on the other side. Are we now basically in a war with Iran?
The source doesn’t go as far out on this issue as Gearan’s question was pushing. But it didn’t really matter. As you can see in the pages of the Washington Post, an official Iranian role in the fighting was treated almost like a fact–which might be the point of having anonymous briefings like this.
Whether the FSA actually believes there’s an Iranian presence is debatable.
It’s in their interest to put out such a line, whether they think it’s true or not, isn’t it?
Propaganda may be true, have some element of truth to it, or be wholly fallacious.
Time will tell where this fits on that spectrum.
We are war with EastAsia. We have always been at war with EastAsia. EuroAsia is our ally, EurAsia has always been our ally…
His voice, made metallic by
the amplifiers, boomed forth an endless catalogue of atrocities, massacres, deportations, lootings, rapings, torture of prisoners, bombing of civilians, lying propaganda, unjust aggressions, broken treaties. It was almost impossible to listen to him without being first convinced and then maddened. At every few moments the fury of the crowd boiled over and the voice of the speaker was drowned by a wild beast-like roaring that rose uncontrollably from thousands of throats. The most savage yells of all came from the schoolchildren. The speech had been proceeding for perhaps twenty minutes when a messenger hurried on to the platform and a scrap of paper was slipped into the speaker’s hand. He unrolled and read it without pausing in his speech. Nothing altered in his voice or manner, or in the content of what he was saying, but suddenly the names were different. Without words said, a wave of understanding rippled through the crowd. Oceania was at war with Eastasia! The next moment there was a tremendous commotion. The banners and posters with which the square was decorated were all wrong! Quite half of them had the wrong faces on them. It was Sabotage! The agents of Goldstein had been at work! There was a riotous interlude while posters were ripped from the walls, banners torn to shreds and trampled underfoot. The Spies performed prodigies of activity in clambering over the rooftops and cutting the streamers that fluttered from the chimneys. But within two or three minutes it was all over. The orator, still gripping the neck of the microphone, his shoulders hunched forward, his free hand clawing at the air, had gone straight on with his speech. One minute more, and the feral roars of rage were again bursting from the crowd. The Hate continued exactly as before, except that the target had been changed.
As has been pointed out by others before, it doesn’t need to be a conspiracy since they are all working in parallel and in concert toward the same end.
We get to see them not only report this hearsay as news they work to improve upon it to make it even better as a meme to spread like a viral disease till nearly everyone is repeating it as if it is solid reputable fact instead of an enhanced bit of gray propaganda.
“An unknown number of Iranians are fighting in Syria.”
Undeniably true. The number could be 10,000 — or zero.
U.S. media like to mock Pravda, Granma, Al Ahram, Russia Today, Press TV, etc. as state media organs. But I recall a Rudyard Kipling quote from the height of the British empire:
“You cannot hope to bribe or twist — thank God — the British journalist.
But, seeing what the man will do unbribed, there’s really no occasion to.”
(A few decades ago, a Canadian royal commission report on newspaper monopolies had the insight to use this quotation. Of course the government of the day did nothing to break up the monopolies the report warned of.)
@Padremellyrn. Of the thousands who cite this work each day, i suspect that only a tiny portion have actually read it and then usually in their youth. Although i think it’s rubbish as literature and human observation, you have picked out a spot-on quote for this situation. Well done.
More of the same lies that we heard, pre-Iraq, pre-Afghanistan.
I have always read your reviews with interest, as it clarifies media misconceptions and reads between the lines .
I want hear to emphasize that you need to go much beyond the lines to understand the administration position in Syria .
It seems that the administration has made a decision not to help the Syrian opposition and the oppressed people in Syria, that is why they are giving only lip service to the suffering, and horrible events, taking place there, in spite of extreme support from Russia, and active participation of, Iran and Hezbollah, in the fighting and killing of the Syrian civilians . the US administration is very vague about t his information. Hezbollah leader (Hasan Nasrallah) today was boasting about Hezbollah involvement and fighting in Syria, his speech was aired on the media outlets in front of his supporters throughout the world, while the US administration is still very shy about any declarations and is vague in its policy, which your comments show clearly .
the consequences on the ground however are foretelling and disastrous :
in a country of 20 million people :
More than 100.000 civilians killed, more than 150.000 disappeared
more than 1.5 million refugees, more than 2.4 million houses destructed, more than 4 millions displaced , 7-8 million in need for immediate help, to survive . this is a catastrophe at the level of WWII or more disastrous .
With the loss of control on most of the country, Assad’s regime survival now depends only on Russian and Iranian support, and the help of Hezbollah and Iranian fighters on the ground .
The US policy not to help the subjugated people of Syria, is a disgrace and runs against the American values, of freedom, democracy and dignity for all .
Total media spin as usual.Good catch Peter.
”The US policy not to help the subjugated people of Syria, is a disgrace and runs against the American values, of freedom, democracy and dignity for all.”
Those aren’t ”American values”. They’re human values. And you seem to be afflicted with historical amnesia, to an extent that’s pretty breathtaking.
I think Mr. Sakkal is exaggerating. That is also a form of propaganda.
thank you for your news, but i know most of country sent soldiers to Syria