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‘Syrians being killed by gangs and defectors’
Published: 04 January, 2012, 15:50
Pro-Syrian militiamen fires at Muslim Sunni islamists (AFP Photo / PATRICK BAZ)
(89.9Mb) embed videoTAGS: Military, UN, Africa, Interview, Middle East, Protest, Human rights, Maria Finoshina, Syria
As Syrian forces reportedly continue to kill civilian protesters, armed rebels have threatened to step up their own attacks. Middle East expert Dr. Jeremy Salt says there is tunnel vision when it comes to deciding just who is doing the killing.
The commander of Syria's armed rebels threatened to step up attacks on President Bashar al-Assad's forces on Wednesday, according to Reuters. He said he was frustrated with Arab League monitors' lack of progress in ending a government crackdown on protests.
On Tuesday, the Arab League called for an emergency meeting to discuss whether to withdraw the group's monitors from Syria, amid concerns that the observers’ presence is doing little to deter government forces from continuing to kill protesters, AP reports, citing an Arab official.
Middle Eastern politics expert Dr. Jeremy Salt says figures about numbers of deaths, even from official sources, differ too much to be reliable.
“In its report, the Human Rights Council said 4,000 [people have been killed in Syria to date]…but there was no information about where they got that figure from,” he said. “A few days later, Navi Pillay, who is the UN Human Rights Commissioner, stood up in the Security Council and said 5,000 – and the figure echoes around the world,” he told RT.
“I think it lodges in the popular imagination as 5,000 people being killed by the Syrian government – by the security forces, by the military – whatever. Whereas in fact, I don’t think there’s any doubt at all that a large number of military, of civilians have been killed by armed gangs and by defectors,” Salt explained.
The Middle East politics expert believes the figures need to be disaggregated.
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3 comments
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Wo, Russia Today is so biaest im amazed they havnt fallen to one side, they lean so far towards supporting brutal dictators regimes.
RT is like Russias version of Fox News.
I just dont understand why people listen to Russian state propaganda, and why so many in Russia feel that dictators like Assad and Gaddafi have more rights than the citzens of their own country, it wouldnt be connected with Russias own oppositions bid for freedom in recent weeks would it ? hmm.
Great to hear Dr Jeremy Salt interviewed. It is such a pity he is not being interviewed on mainstream media here in Australia. The media here is shameful in the single narrative they have been pushing in regard to Syria since the beginning of the crisis. People are able to do critical thinking (of course), but they are not being presented with information which would lead to discussion and debate and that thinking! It is as if we in Australia have become a lynch mob; let's damn Syria because .... someone said we should. We need Dr Salt back in Australia to present views that challenge and inform!
Many people in the Syrian and Lebanese communities in Australia understand what is happening in Syria because they have friends and family there. There are rallies to inform the wider community, but the media show no interest in them.
RT is doing a great job presenting interviews with experts such as Dr Salt. They help us think about international politics and hopefully take action in terms of pressuring our local media to be open to other information and views and also in terms of pressuring Amnesty, for example, to examine its policies; why doesn't it present the full story and why is it so trusting of anonymous sources? Why isn't condemning the extremist clerics who are issueing fatwas and calling for the violent overthrow of the Syrian government, no matter what the death toll?
By the way, I doubt very much if the image you have on your page is from Syria. I lived in Syria for two years and it is not a familiar location at all. From the landscape and action, I would suggest that it is from Libya. I doubt very much that there is a pro-government militia in Syria in charge of such weaponry at this stage, behind sandbags; the anti-government forces, maybe, but where?
@ Kieran Spence
I would say do some research before put your nose on something you barely understand. What Gaddafi did for his country is never done by any of the country in the world.
1. There is no electricity bill in Libya; electricity is free for all its citizens.2. There is no interest on loans, banks in Libya are state-owned and loans given to all its citizens at zero percent interest by law.3. Having a home considered a human right in Libya.4. All newlyweds in Libya receive $60,000 dinar (U.S.$50,000) by the government to buy their first apartment so to help start up the family.5. Education and medical treatments are free in Libya. Before Gaddafi only 25 percent of Libyans were literate. Today, the figure is 83 percent.6. Should Libyans want to take up farming career, they would receive farming land, a farming house, equipments, seeds and livestock to kickstart their farms are all for free.7. If Libyans cannot find the education or medical facilities they need, the government funds them to go abroad, for it is not only paid for, but they get a U.S.$2,300/month for accommodation and car allowance.8. If a Libyan buys a car, the government subsidizes 50 percent of the price.9. The price of petrol in Libya is $0.14 per liter.10. Libya has no external debt and its reserves amounting to $150 billion are now frozen globally.11. If a Libyan is unable to get employment after graduation the state would pay the average salary of the profession, as if he or she is employed, until employment is found.12. A portion of every Libyan oil sale is credited directly to the bank accounts of all Libyan citizens.13. A mother who gives birth to a child receive U.S.$5,000.14. 40 loaves of bread in Libya costs $0.15.15. 25 percent of Libyans have a university degree.16. Gaddafi carried out the world’s largest irrigation project, known as the Great Manmade River project, to make water readily available throughout the desert country.17 Women’s Rights: Under Gaddafi, gender discrimination was officially banned and the literacy rate for women climbed to 83 per cent. The rights of Black’s were also improved.
Who is giving his people this kind of facilities. Look on Iraq. If you have drinking problem then don't do it when you making comment here, the perfect for you would be fox-con, cnn-con.