Chemical Weapons in Syria? BBC Panorama Relies on Questionable Research

Posted by Azra
October 17, 2018

The press release detailed below, was issued by the Global Network for Syria on October 16, 2018 in response to the BBC Panorama programme, "Syria's Chemical War" which was first aired at 20:30 on BBC One, Monday, October 15, 2018.

"A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic claimed to show how chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian Government as part of a deliberate military strategy. Yet there are serious concerns over the investigation’s reliance on 'broadly impartial' sources -- who are not named -- and consequently the reliability of the report's findings." – Global Network for Syria, 16th October 2018, Press Release.

According to BBC Panorama's Nawal al-Maghafi, "A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic shows for the first time the extent to which chemical weapons have been crucial to his [Assad's] war-winning strategy." Source

Given the BBC's highly questionable track record with "Saving Syria's Children" as just one fine example, which Robert Stuart has dissected and analyzed to highly revealing effect, along with its endless promulgation of the UK, U.S., France et al's regime change coalition rhetoric on Syria, there are legitimate, serious reasons to question "Syria's Chemical War". The joint investigation's reliance upon unspecified allegedly "broadly impartial" sources for the Panorama documentary compels us to question what is presented as the truth of the situation in Syria even more.

The BBC's lack of clarity and transparency of its sources is well illustrated, in my opinion, by the following excerpt from the "About the data" section of their digital companion piece published October 15, 2018, How chemical weapons have helped bring Assad close to victory by Nawal al-Maghafi:

The reports were from a variety of sources considered broadly impartial and not involved in the fighting. They included international bodies, human rights groups, medical organisations and think tanks.

In line with investigations carried out by the UN and the OPCW, BBC researchers, with the help of several independent analysts, reviewed the open source data available for each of the reported attacks, including victim and witness testimonies, photographs and videos.

The BBC team had their methodology checked by specialist researchers and experts.

The following is the press release issued by the Global Network for Syria which I would ask you to please read and share, far and wide:

For immediate release – October 16, 2018

CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN SYRIA?

BBC PANORAMA RELIES ON QUESTIONABLE RESEARCH

A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic claimed to show how chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian Government as part of a deliberate military strategy. Yet there are serious concerns over the investigation’s reliance on 'broadly impartial' sources -- who are not named -- and consequently the reliability of the report's findings.

The Panorama programme is called 'Syria's Chemical War' and was first broadcast on Monday 15 October on BBC One at 20:30.

Members of the Global Network for Syria have issued the following response:

“Yesterday's BBC Panorama programme was notable for its omissions. It was not clear, for example, whether evidence backing the claims of 106 uses of chemical weapons came from Syrian rebel sources. Given that sources are not named, the BBC may be relying on evidence from groups that are widely regarded as favourable to the opposition, such as the White Helmets, the Syrian American Medical Society, or the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations.

"The investigation ignored the interim findings of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the Douma incident, which contradict the BBC’s conclusions. The OPCW found no evidence of the use of prohibited weapons in Douma and did not rule out that chlorine cylinders found at the site may have been planted.

"The programme showed former OPCW staff saying that not all of Asad's stocks destroyed under OPCW supervision were necessarily accounted for. It neglected to point out, however, that the OPCW reported in 2014 that it had been unable to visit two sites where chemical weapons were stored and that both these sites were in rebel-held territory deemed unsafe for inspectors to visit.

"The programme also claimed to detect a pattern of Asad using chemical weapons in the final stages of sieges. But the report did not address questions raised by numerous military experts who ask why Syrian Government Forces, which were already winning the war, would deploy chemical weapons of limited usefulness, risking severe reprisals by the US-led Coalition.

"There are further concerns regarding the lack of reference to Islamist fighters, who have used chlorine canisters as part of their "resistance", and who have butchered not just Christians and Alawites but also hundreds of the civilians living under their control, as documented by the UN.

"The war in Syria is complex, with many different layers to the conflict. It is crucial that any future investigation includes historical and geopolitical context, objective analysis, transparency about sources, and, at the very least, an acknowledgement that there are different points of view.”

Peter Ford, former British Ambassador to Syria

Dr Tim Anderson, University of Sydney

Lord Carey of Clifton

Baroness Cox

Lord Gordon of Strathblane

Dr Michael Langrish, former Bishop of Exeter

Lord Stoddart of Swindon

Contact: carolinecox1@outlook.com

________________________________

Quite frankly I would be very surprised if the establishment media's new darling, supposed "citizen journalist" and Atlantic Council Senior Fellow, Digital Forensic Research Lab, Future Europe Initiative, Eliot Higgins and his Bellingcat "open source investigations" was not one of the allegedly "impartial sources" of information used to create BBC Panorama's "Syria's Chemical War". Please note that Bellingcat's declared funders include:

Google News Initiative’s Digital News Innovation Fund, Soro's Open Society Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Meedan (which receives funding from Qatar Foundation International, Rockefeller Brother's Fund and others, with Muna Abu Sulayman "Executive Director of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal's Kingdom Holding Company" sitting on its steering commitee. Source), along with others.

The Atlantic Council itself receives funding from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office which sits near the top of the extensive list of it's Honor Roll of Contributors.

Image via @Ian56789 posted on Twitter April 25, 2018.

Tagged to bring to the attention of: @corbettreport @caitlinjohnstone @clarityofsignal @richq11 @v4vapid @krnel @tremendospercy @jimbobbill @truthseekereport @blackrussian

azra