Red Cross Blockade in Syria

[The Cheshire Cat]

I stumbled upon this article from Russia Today. According to RT, it is not the Syrian Government who denies the Red Cross entrance to Homs, but the Free Syrian Army.

Aisling Byrne of the Conflicts Forum in Beirut, told RT the Red Crescent twice sent ambulances to Baba Amr, but both times they were blocked by the FSA.

The humanitarian mission “did get ambulances through to take injured journalists out of Homs, and it was actually the Free Syrian Army who refused to let them leave,” she said, adding that the FSA also obstructed the evacuation of injured civilians.

http://rt.com/news/red-cross-mission-homs-syria-701/

It's depressing to see how much lies are told in the West(/World?) by the media, those who have the extremely important task to watch every step politicians make and report and be critical about it. It is even more depressing to see that the majority of people believes these lies. Is there a way to stop the rolling and steaming propaganda machines (aka mainstream media)?

[Bronco]

What about the very first line of the article, what do you think about that one?


A Red Cross relief mission to the battered city of Homs is being prevented from reaching the Baba Amr district by Syrian government forces.

[Krano]

I'm sure Russian state sponsored news will be unbiased when it comes to Syria.

[The Cheshire Cat]

What about the very first line of the article, what do you think about that one?

Indeed, I mentioned that in a previous post. I'm not sure what to think of that. I guess they mean both parties are throwing up blockades?

[The Cheshire Cat]

I'm sure Russian state sponsored news will be unbiased when it comes to Syria.

Probably a hundred times more unbiased than the average Western state sponsored news, who claim it's the Syrian Government who's throwing up blockades. And Russia Today has a history of telling the truth at points where other media lie. It's more trustworthy than most other media.

[Bronco]

Indeed, I mentioned that in a previous post. I'm not sure what to think of that. I guess they mean both parties are throwing up blockades?

Well it would seem that it is indeed the Syrian government who are trying to block access to Homs, the FSA have retreated from the city and the Syrian army are now said to have "complete control (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/03/02/bloomberg_articlesM08RWR07SXKX01-M09S1.DTL)" over Baba Amr

I'm not really sure whether the person quoted in the article is referring to a past incident or perhaps something that happened this morning while there were still a few FSA fighters remaining. Either way it's clear that it's hard to know exactly what is going on, we are just relying on anecdotes and mobile phone footage for the most part, and while we should of course take any report from the Western media with a pinch of salt and be sceptical that hardly means we should unquestioningly accept anything that is reported by Russia Today who are far from impartial themselves

[The Cheshire Cat]

We definitely shouldn't accept everything from RT indeed. But when there are several media talking about the same thing and I can't be sure, I rather side with RT than any other media. They tell the least lies from all mass media. At least, I think. So in this case I'd rather believe RT, which claims it is the SFA (and the Syrian government?) that throws up blockades than the other media, who claim it is the Syrian Government alone.

It's too bad we can't get good information from Syria. Those phone video's really don't mean anything at all to me. They could have been made anywhere anytime any place.

[bricolage]

haven't the sfa retreated from the area? how can they be blockading red cross then?

also what krano said.

[The Cheshire Cat]

We don't have updated and completely trustworthy sources from Homs. Who knows when and how far the SFA retreated? Maybe they still have some footholds? I think the Red Crescent wanted to go further into Homs, where the SFA was still present, and that then the SFA stopped them? We can't know for sure.

Besides, it's the Syrian government who is claiming to have gained control over Baba Amr. And almost everyone always says that the Syrian Government lies about lots of things. So why trust them now? Maybe they don't have control, they could just be demoralizing the SFA members. Who knows.

[Bronco]

We definitely shouldn't accept everything from RT indeed. But when there are several media talking about the same thing and I can't be sure, I rather side with RT than any other media. They tell the least lies from all mass media. At least, I think. So in this case I'd rather believe RT, which claims it is the SFA (and the Syrian government?) that throws up blockades than the other media, who claim it is the Syrian Government alone.

It's too bad we can't get good information from Syria. Those phone video's really don't mean anything at all to me. They could have been made anywhere anytime any place.

I wouldn't say that about RT at all, they have their biases just as much as the BBC do, both outlets just try and manipulate things for their own interests. While RT quotes a Russian citizen saying that the FSA “kill both young and old. They steal people from their homes and chop them into pieces, put them in plastic bags and throw them out!” The BBC quotes a Briton who's been there who says the Syrian government are carrying out a "systematic slaughter of a civilian population (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17240610)" and descries opposition forces who assisted his escape as "heroes". They're two sides of the same coin, and while I sometimes watch RT to get an alternate perspective it is no less biased than the Western media.

But besides it is not even RT who are saying the FSA are blockading the district, they are merely quoting someone who is saying that. And again, it's a bit of a confusing piece of journalism this article, considering the opening line attributes blame to the Syrian government and then chucks in this quote at the end, a quote which seems to contradict what the article originally said and seems questionable considering the FSA have retreated from the city.