That Syrian Gas Attack: An Alternative Version

Posted on April 19, 2017 | 9 Comments

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9 responses to “That Syrian Gas Attack: An Alternative Version”

  1. edmundelynch | April 19, 2017 at 1:17 pm | Reply

    Please remove me from mail list.

    Sent from my iPhone Edmund Lynch

    >

    • The Broken Elbow | April 19, 2017 at 1:38 pm | Reply

      with pleasure! if i knew how! but one question: did you learn anything from the invasion of iraq, ed? i mean anything about the willingness of government to lie and mislead and the perils of automatically believing what they say? anything!? especially this government in DC which has made a speciality out of lying and dissembling, latest e.g. the fleet sailing towards korea that was actually thousands of miles away. or are you drinking the trump kool-aid these days? with government, especially this one, we must put our fingers through the holes!

  2. Barry Gilheany | April 20, 2017 at 9:31 am | Reply

    The Assad regime perpetrated the sarin gas attack on Keir Shakhoun just as it did in Gouta in 2013 because it thought it would get away with it because of its Russian patronage. It did it because it is a psychopathic regime that believes in murdering and terrorising its people with impunity because it believes that is its best way of winning the war. Do look at the reports of the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights for more details of this regime’s depravity. Yes, Trump is a lying so-and-so and the invasion of Iraq was based on false premises. But Syria is so different as the violations of the laws of war and humanitarian laws are so starkly obvious. Yes, by all means challenge and hold governments to account as all good journalists should do but please do not swallow and publicise conspiracy theories such as this. It stains your otherwise excellent journalism on the depradations of the State and Provisional IRA/Sinn Fein and loyalist groups in NI.

    • The Broken Elbow | April 20, 2017 at 9:57 am | Reply

      Actually, i have an open mind on what happened. What i do know is that a) governments have lied repeatedly about such matters and dirty tricks are played widely by all parties in conflicts; and b) the establishment media invariably, and often instantly, accepts and reflects versions peddled by their own side, as in this case; with the US media it is as if they have a button on their forehead marked ‘press in time of war’ and when pressed they believe everything their government tells them and they report accordingly. As we learned with the lies about WMD in Iraq it takes a long time for the truth to emerge. We should therefore be very skeptical about official explanations, especially when independent reporting is not possible. The government version of this event has been given wide and largely uncritical coverage by the mass media in the US and Europe; the other side not so much. In such circumstances it is the function, even the duty of small blogs like this to give people the opportunity to examine the other side of the argument, which is what I try to do here with this story and also with my coverage of Northern Ireland. I think you would have to agree that the angles I present on many stories from the North is not really presented by the Irish media. But there are people who say I should stop writing in this way, that like many others in the Irish media I should do my bit to help the peace process and shut up. What you are suggesting I do, is to practice censorship in another area, in Syria, to actively prevent my few readers from reading the opposite and conflicting versions of what happened in Syria. One of the very healthy features of social media is that it gives readers views which the mainstream media will not. That is one of the reasons why, incidentally, the mainstream media gets stories so wrong, so often. I intend to keep playing my part in that and in the process assist a healthier and better informed debate about issues such as the Syrian gassing. As for the truth of what happened that will eventually emerge.

  3. Barry Gilheany | April 26, 2017 at 12:17 pm | Reply

    Here is some evidence as to the truth of the Syrian gassing;
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/26/syria-assad-forces-carried-out-sarin-attack-says-french-intelligence

    I sooner believe the “establishment media” that the conspiracist nonsense about the Syrian gas attack put out by sources like Alex Jones or Russia Today. Because theories like the CIA was behind the Arab Spring in order to secure US access to hydrocarbons, that ISIS stands for Israeli Intelligence Service or that the MMR jab causes autism represent “alternative” narratives does not mean they deserve any cloak of legitiimacy. They do not because they invariably originate in the sewers of the racist and isolationist far right and fellow travelling far left.

  4. Barry Gilheany | April 27, 2017 at 10:51 am | Reply

    I do apologise for suggesting that you would be influenced by the Alex Joneses of this world. It was never my intention to do so. I do feel passionately about the atrocities that the Assad regime has committed with the aid of Putin, Iran and Hezbollah and too many “alternative” narratives to the Syrian conflict use the outrageous conspiracy theories to justify Assad as a poster boy for Arab solidarity against US imperialism and Israel. I do not see your blog falling into that category as I have too much respect for your journalism for that.

  5. edmundelynch | September 4, 2018 at 8:01 pm | Reply

    For your consideration.

    Sent from my iPhone Edmund Lynch 973 477-3081

    Begin forwarded message:

    > From: Niall Murphy > Date: September 4, 2018 at 7:20:42 PM EDT > To: edmundelynch > Cc: Peter Kissel , O’Dowd Niall , Lynch Liam , “Wilson Graydon” , McGinley Ned , Burke Thomas , McCormack Mike , “Cummings Michael” , Sean Pender , “Martin Galvin” > Subject: Re: Arrest of Journalists > > Yes. Sure. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 5 Sep 2018, at 00:19, edmundelynch wrote: > >> Niall: >> Can we release this statement to our contacts ? >> Ed >> >> Sent from my iPhone Edmund Lynch >> 973 477-3081 >> >> On Sep 4, 2018, at 5:02 PM, Niall Murphy wrote: >> >>> Notwithstanding that, my view is that this was a wholehearted PSNI agenda. No doubts about that. >>> >>> Durham Police and the PSNI were keen to point to Durham’s independence. What should also be noted is that only three Durham Police officers were apparent on Friday. The Senior Investigating Officer Darren Ellis And two detectives asking pre prepared questions in interview, reading from scripts. In addition to these 3 Durham officers the arrest and detention strategy involved well over 100 PSNI officers. There was at least 25-30 officers in attendance at each search location, the two homes and the business address and each Durham detective was attended by a PSNI detective in interview also. The senior co-ordinating sergeant supervising the interviews was a PSNI officer as was the custody sergeant who imposed restrictions on the liberty of the two journalists when granting bail. This same custody sergeant also refused to release tape recordings of the interviews in abject departure from ordinary practice. In my respectful opinion, this arrest and interview strategy was overwhelmingly directed and executed by officers of the PSNI. >>> >>> The arrests occurred on Friday 31 August and as Saturday 1st turned to Sunday 2nd September, Drew Harris assumed his powers as Garda Commissioner in the south. One train of thought might say that this was his parting gift. >>> >>> The irony is that the producers of the film, Trevor Birney and Alex Gibney had actually proactively sought out the senior command of the PSNI to TELL THEM that the film would be naming the names of the suspects. ACC Stephen Martin was the senior officer who reposed no concerns other than if the film intending EXPLICITLY revealing that any of the suspects were in fact informers, as that would impact the ability of the PSNI to recruit and maintain informers. >>> >>> It is obvious that the interests of the families of those murdered are of little or no concern. >>> >>> ACC Martin is due in Washington DC between 12-14 September. I will get you his itinerary. He should not get a free run. His every move should be shadowed and he should be held to account. Your activism would be very much appreciated around this. >>> >>> The Truth Cannot Be Arrested. >>> >>> The film, as you know premiered in New York on 30 September. A link was provided to the Police Ombudsman simultaneously with the British premiere in London a week later on 7 October. As such, the Ombudsman had a full week to seek an injunction as did the killers and the police, as the details were widely circulated on social media. No such injunction was taken, nobody has issued libel proceedings (although the 12 month limit to issue proceedings doesn’t expire until 7 October) and press complaints lodged against newspapers were all dismissed. >>> >>> This arrest strategy is an utter farce solely directed at intimidating those who seek to expose state involvement in murder. Journalists today, NGO’s, lawyers and families tomorrow… >>> >>> “A free press is the unsleeping guardian of every other right that free men prize; it is the most dangerous foe of tyranny” >>> >>> Ironically this is a quote from Winston Churchill… >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On 4 Sep 2018, at 19:37, Peter Kissel wrote: >>> >>>> That’s exactly the problem – PSNI can duck its responsibilities by passing it off to others who are clueless and have zero knowledge of the situation on the ground, thereby washing their hands of it. I did not realize they did that with Rosemary Nelson’s murder too. That can only happen in the US when the Feds take over an investigation. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Peter Kissel >>>> 5604 Utah Ave., N.W. >>>> Washington, DC 20015 >>>> home: 202-363-2834 >>>> mobile: 202-262-4785 >>>> >>>> >>>>

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