Stephen Lendman -- Fabricated Reports of Russian Airstrikes Killing Civilians in Syria

Fabricated Reports of Russian Airstrikes Killing Civilians in Syria

by Stephen Lendman

Since Russia’s anti-terrorist campaign began in Syria last September, it’s been falsely accused numerous times of striking hospitals, other nonmilitary sites and killing civilians.

It has documented photographic and other evidence disproving falsified claims, used to denigrate its vital mission, deserving universal support.

The UK-based pro-Western imperial mouthpiece Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) features propaganda, not credible information.

On Monday, it accused Russia of killing 2,100 Syrian civilians since last September, including 500 children and 300 women - citing no credible evidence supporting its spurious claim. 

On Tuesday, it was at it again, claiming (nonexistent) Russian airstrikes killed 23 civilians in Idlib city, including seven children, saying an area next to a hospital was attacked, indicating the death toll likely to rise.

Reuters repeated its Big Lie with no due diligence fact checking, accepting a notorious unreliable source as gospel.

Russia categorically denied conducting area airstrikes, Defense Ministry spokesman General Igor Konashenkov, saying “(n)o combat missions, let alone…airstrikes, (were) performed by the Russian Air Force in Idlib province.

Reuters cited Turkey, claiming 60 Idlib area civilian deaths and 200 others injured “carried out by Russian jets on a hospital and a mosque…”

A Turkish foreign ministry statement called on the international community to act swiftly against what it called “indefensible” Russian and Syrian crimes.

Ankara is allied with Washington, NATO, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other regional rogue states in actively supporting ISIS and other terrorist groups, waging endless aggression, wanting tyranny replacing Syrian sovereignty.

Konashenkov urged paying no attention to spurious anti-Russian propaganda, spread by SOHR, Reuters and other media scoundrels - substituting Big Lies for hard truths.

Russia “presented to the world the objective monitoring data, fully disproving” fabricated SOHR/Reuters accusations, said Konashenkov. “(N)either the (so-called) observatory nor the (news) agency even tried to listen…much less publish” a retraction.

Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov indicated its aerial operations will continue combating terrorists in Syria, delivering precision strikes on its forces and facilities, scrupulously avoiding civilian casualties.

Washington, Israel and their imperial allies consider them legitimate targets. International law calls them high crimes of war and against humanity.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.