A staple of Western war propaganda is what Prof. John McMurtry calls “Reverse Projection”. The U.S. Empire, for example, projects its own crimes against prey nations.
So, it projects the lie that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is a “brutal dictator” when it is Washington itself that is the declining imperial dictator that regularly imposes its will on prey countries.
According to imperial narratives, the “brutal dictator” tortures and “kills his own people” when he is not “gassing his own people”.
It isn’t surprising that Empire should use these lines, since Empire tortures people in black sites throughout the world[1], it coerces other nations to torture rendered victims at Washington’s behest, and Washington’s terror proxies torture hapless citizens at will.
But statistics do not tell the whole story. Dr Zaher Hajjo, Director of Forensics, in Damascus Syria, told investigative reporter Vanessa Beeley that “(t)he bodies I have to inspect tell their own stories of torture, dismemberment, rape and abuse.” He added that it is a very painful part of his work, but “it brings relief to relatives waiting a very long time for information (about their) loved ones.” Additionally:
“Terrorists or so-called ‘rebels’ murder civilians twice effectively. After people are executed, bodies are hidden, buried or burned & mutilated & IDs stolen or destroyed. This is deliberate to add to suffering of relatives, makes ID almost impossible.”[2]
Clearly Secretary Pompeo’s feigned humanitarian concerns about Idlib’s infrastructure and civilians, as expressed in a July 24, 2019 tweet, fits nicely, not only into the category of “Reverse Projection” , but also the “Humanitarian Intervention” myth and serves as cover for the al Qaeda and affiliated proxies that the West supports in Syria and beyond.
We condemn continued airstrikes by #Russia & Assad in #Idlib. These strikes destroy infrastructure & kill civilians. There is no military solution in #Syria. We call for an immediate ceasefire & a return to the political process. End this humanitarian disaster.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) July 23, 2019
Idlib is “al Qaeda Central”. It is where Western-supported terrorists torture and murder civilians. Special US envoy Brett McGurk even admitted, in July, 2017, that,
“Idlib province is the largest al-Qaeda safe-have(n) since 9/11, tied to directly to Ayman al Zawahiri, this is a huge problem.”[3]
Washington is protecting its terror proxies in Idlib, as it has done throughout the entire war on Syria. Words from Western politicians are empty shells, meaningless.
*
Note to readers: please click the share buttons below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.
Mark Taliano is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) and the author of Voices from Syria, Global Research Publishers, 2017. Visit the author’s website at https://www.marktaliano.net.
Notes
[1] Duncan Campbell and Richard Norton-Taylor, “Prison ships, torture claims, and missing detainees.” The Guardian, 02 June, 2008. (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/02/terrorism.terrorism) Accessed 24 July, 2019.
[2] Vanessa Beeley,“SYRIA: Bodies don’t lie.” 23 June, 2019. (https://www.patreon.com/posts/syria-bodies-lie-28589617?utm_medium=post_notification_email&utm_source=post_link&utm_campaign=patron_engagement) Accessed 24 July, 2019.
[3] “The Truth About Idlib in the US State Department’s Own Words. ‘The Largest Al Qaeda Safe Haven Since 9/11.’ Zero Hedge, 2 September 2018. Global Research, September 03, 2018. (https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-truth-about-idlib-in-the-state-departments-own-words-the-largest-al-qaeda-safe-haven-since-911/5652789) Accessed 24 July, 2019.
Featured image: Vanessa Beeley, Discovery of mass graves in Raqqa – murdered by US-sponsored proxy forces SDF and ISIS.
Order Mark Taliano’s Book “Voices from Syria” directly from Global Research.
Mark Taliano combines years of research with on-the-ground observations to present an informed and well-documented analysis that refutes the mainstream media narratives on Syria.
Voices from Syria
ISBN: 978-0-9879389-1-6
Author: Mark Taliano
Year: 2017
Pages: 128 (Expanded edition: 1 new chapter)
List Price: $17.95
Special Price: $9.95
