Syria, Dr Bouthaina Shaaban, Jon Snow & Channel 4 Propaganda

[Chad]

(As is the way, i wrote a lengthy post with colours and all, but it's gone. I was raging about the issue and now I’m regretting not saving it or posting to word... My problem was the type of attachment, i messed up thinking i'd converted it, so it was rejected, and when you go back, nadda - well, everything but the title :P It's my fault, and even though i did the same thing days ago, eventually i will learn )

So i'll be brief but it deserves a mention.

Channel 4 interviewed Dr Bouthaina Shaaban in March 2016 and the propaganda element is foul. The social media post on FB doesn't even mention her name, never mind that she's a doctor - she got her Ph.D from a UK university as well. My thinking is this makes the believers think of Syria as even shadier; 'one of Assad's advisers'.

So the text below is from the brief interview, i skipped what he said because i originally was just noting it for social media to get her point across. You can see the accusations from their description anyway.

What was interesting is when searching to find the video to embed - because FB vids can't be embedded here, or I’m not smart enough - it led me to a revealing twitter thread by the guy who interviewed her. That will be included too.

As for the twitter thread, well, Jon Snow says she hasn't been seen for several years - a quick google search would've shown he was wrong, thankfully twitter replied with her most recent whereabouts. Considering even Wiki says she's the 'face' of Syria (maybe it didn't in 2013) it would be curious that she hasn't been seen for a while.

I will highlight the important bits and just add brief comments by the side.

Jon Snow was my favourite 'charismatic' 'journalist' famed for his colourful socks - till i got a grip on reality. In fairness, it was assessing his and others BS that led me to some truth.

The video is excellent and she takes him down calmly and she even chuckles, pretty impressive considering what's happened. The only part of hers i missed was that she said there was no peep from western media about the destruction of Palmyra, or it's liberation, i can't remember now. I would highly recommend the video. If i can find it on youtube, i will be sure to post it here. As it is, it isn't up yet.

Channel 4 News
Link: https://www.facebook.com/Channel4News/videos/10153590762596939/(2 mins)

Watch the moment that Jon Snow confronts one of President Assad’s advisers on barrel bombs and the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who’ve died over the past five years of civil war. [!!!]

Like · Comment · Share · 15 March

The text i noted:

[he opens by accusing the government of killing '26 people' witnessed by 'independent observers'

Dr Bouthaina Shaaban: "i don't think there are any independent observers. I think Rami Abdulrahman from Coventry has been the major source for all western channels [...] without any help from the western world, only help from Russia [...] do you think we are happy about what happened to Syria? [...] From ‪#‎Europe‬ alone there have been thousands of ‪#‎terrorists‬ that western governments allowed to come [...] ‪#‎Turkey‬ has been a main aggressor against our land [...] by allowing terrorists, money, arms to come; Saudi Arabia and Qatar have done wonders in sending money, arms and terrorists and mercenaries into Syria [...] i think the world, especially the West, shoulder a huge deal of responsibility especially the governments of ‪#‎Britain‬ and ‪#‎France‬ who cooperated with Qatar and Saudi Arabia."

And then the twitter thread from Sept 2013 which just reeks of distorted thinking, or blatant propaganda moves more like, so they got to work early. I've attached the mischievious image which lost the post, for posterity. Plus it's clearer.

Jon Snow Verified account ‏@jonsnowC4
Closest Syrian official to Assad: Dr Bouthaina Shaaban, unseen for several years but tonight LIVE on channel 4 news at 7.00opm
Retweets 50
Likes 5

4:58 PM - 4 Sep 2013

Tweet text

Reply to @jonsnowC4

1. Conal Urquhart ‏@conalu 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 @petersbeaumont She was on ITV News at 6 in December 2011/January 2012 (from Moscow)
1 retweet 2 likes

Jon Snow ‏@jonsnowC4 4 Sep 2013 [Jon's lame reply to the above - reaching!! He doesn't even try reply to the rest]
@conalu @petersbeaumont Just short of two years ago!..'several years'
0 retweets 0 likes

Sam Bagnall ‏@nigelsleftboot 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 @conalu @petersbeaumont we interviewed her for @BBCThisWorld in March!
1 retweet 1 like
1.

peter beaumont ‏@petersbeaumont 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 I must admit I wondered where she had gone
0 retweets 0 likes

Justin Vogt ‏@Justin_Vogt 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 Very interesting, but it appears she was interviewed on Russia's RT network in April: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36v-tXkVwRI …
View media
1 retweet 0 likes

Chris Doyle ‏@Doylech 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 Boutheina Shaban was trying to get her autobiography published in UK recently!
1 retweet 1 like

Joseph Willits ‏@josephwillits 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 Do you mean years, Jon? #Syria
1 retweet 0 likes

Joan Swart ‏@ForensicPsychDr 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 @ProSyriana Dr. Shabaan was in South Africa in March 2013 to meet with President Zuma. #Syria #Assad
1 retweet 0 likes

Z A.K. Al-Thani ‏@chseuk 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 Good luck with her - real handful.
0 retweets 0 likes

James Denselow ‏@jamesdenselow 4 Sep 2013
.@jonsnowC4 Ask her about the defection of former defence minister Ali Habib
0 retweets 0 likes

neale scott ‏@nealescott 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 you guys should interview @WebsterGTarpley about this.
0 retweets 0 likes

DEBRA ‏@00debra 4 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 . What Question to put forward first?????
0 retweets 0 likes

my opinion ‏@myopinionwillbe 5 Sep 2013
@jonsnowC4 So interesting. Touched. Thank you.
0 retweets 0 likes

And for our edification, wiki on the Dr:

Bouthaina Shaaban
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bouthaina Shaaban
بثينة شعبان
1st Minister of Expatriates
In office
2002 – 30 July 2008
Preceded by Office established
Succeeded by Joseph Sweid
Political and Media Adviser to the Presidency
In office
2008 – Incumbent
Personal details
Born 1953
Homs, Syria
Political party Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party

Bouthaina Shaaban (Arabic: بثينة شعبان‎) (born 1953) is a Syrian politician and is currently the political and media adviser to the President of Syria. Shaaban served as the first Minister of Expatriates for the Syrian Arab Republic, between 2003 and 2008,[1] and has been described as the Syrian government's face to the outside world.[2]


Life and education

Born in Homs and a member of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party since the age of 16, she was educated in Britain and obtained her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Warwick.[3] She is married with two daughters and a son.[1]

Honors

In 2005 Shaaban was presented with "the Most Distinguished Woman in a Governmental Position" award by the Arab League.

So all of it reeks.

 

[angelburst29]

In February, Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban was interviewed by Tony Jones with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She basically got the same treatment from Jones, as she got from Jon Snow.

Interview: Dr Bouthaina Shaaban, Syrian President Bashar al Assad's top adviser (Video)
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4405058.htm

I've read several articles on Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban. She's a very qualified and intelligent individual who is well versed in Syrian and Middle Eastern studies. She's very out spoken about how the UN conducts itself and it's short comings in handling various conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria, Yemen and Libya. Plus, she's an strong advocate for Human Rights.

The three articles below and RT video's are just a sampling of her views.

Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban on the Russia-Syria cooperation against (nato’s) terrorism (Video) 30 Sep 2015, RT
https://ingaza.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/dr-bouthaina-shaaban-on-the-russia-syria-cooperation-against-natos-terrorism/

The real Syrian moderates: voices of reason 15 Mar, 2015
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/240797-syria-moderate-voices-peace-stability/

Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban : Turkey Can Never Provide Solutions to Syria’s Crisis (Video) February 18, 2016
https://syria360.wordpress.com/2016/02/18/dr-bouthaina-shaaban-turkey-can-never-provide-solutions-to-syrias-crisis/

 

[Renaissance]

The video is excellent and she takes him down calmly and she even chuckles, pretty impressive considering what's happened. The only part of hers i missed was that she said there was no peep from western media about the destruction of Palmyra, or it's liberation, i can't remember now. I would highly recommend the video. If i can find it on youtube, i will be sure to post it here. As it is, it isn't up yet.

Here it is on youtube:

http://<iframe width="560" height="...Lk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Although the propaganda from Snow is thick, it's pretty much standard fare for Western news. Shaaban, however, did an outstanding job refuting the nonsense and that was nice to see on a big news channel. I'm guessing Snow doesn't recognize how foolish he made himself look.

 

[Chad]

In February, Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban was interviewed by Tony Jones with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She basically got the same treatment from Jones, as she got from Jon Snow.

[...]

I've read several articles on Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban. She's a very qualified and intelligent individual who is well versed in Syrian and Middle Eastern studies. She's very out spoken about how the UN conducts itself and it's short comings in handling various conflicts in the Middle East, including Syria, Yemen and Libya. Plus, she's an strong advocate for Human Rights.

Much appreciated AngelBurst29, for the articles and your comments; i'll get on them today.

The video is excellent and she takes him down calmly and she even chuckles, pretty impressive considering what's happened. The only part of hers i missed was that she said there was no peep from western media about the destruction of Palmyra, or it's liberation, i can't remember now. I would highly recommend the video. If i can find it on youtube, i will be sure to post it here. As it is, it isn't up yet.

Here it is on youtube:

[...]
Although the propaganda from Snow is thick, it's pretty much standard fare for Western news. Shaaban, however, did an outstanding job refuting the nonsense and that was nice to see on a big news channel. I'm guessing Snow doesn't recognize how foolish he made himself look.

Oh that's great it's on youtube, thank you Renaissance. Jon Snow can come across in some areas as a some rogue liberal (whatever that is), sometimes he can come across quite pro-palestinian 'rights', and maybe he is. I think his dad was a well-known journalist too. I have a feeling he knows what he's doing, but with his popularity, his ego protects him from feeling any shame. And for shame indeed.

This drivel IS standard fare, but i'm still gob-smacked watching clips of Fox News!
I am in no way surprised; appalled, yes, but lost any remaining illusions about it all about 6 years ago. I am moved by her words and manner.

Channel 4 - for those that don't know - apparently was commissioned as the 'alternative channel' for the UK - since we had BBC [propaganda] channel 1 & 2, (paid for by anybody with a receiver and box, by law, through threats of large fines and imprisonment, monitored by visits from men in vans 'to check if your TV is warm'), the other channel, ITV, funded by advertisers - think reality tv and other trash.

Channel 4 also had lots of soft porn on late-ish at night, as well as those bizarre-kink programs about wife-swapping, and generally anything that could be considered perverse; that was when i watched it as a teen, say 17 years ago. And the idea was/is that it provides the 'alternative' - for example, the alternative to the queen's speech at Christmas - which, i think, speaks to some controlled opposition rubbish. And also a subversive way to disrupt young and old minds alike.

Also, to add, it was the absence of mainstream media reporting about the destruction of Palmyra, not the liberation (which was only very recently).

text:

"I wish the world would care when Palmyra was destroyed by these terrorists. I think there's a lot of things which we have to put aside in western media and in world media which try only to mislead the people about what is happening in Syria."

Thanks both!


Added: I didn't think about it like that Renaissance, it is a good thing that it was on such a widely-watched channel.