By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 8 -- Selling a military strike on Syria, US official Denis McDonough hit the Sunday talk shows. On CBS's Face the Nation he said that those who've seen the American evidence are convinced.
That's not the case at the UN. As Inner City Press reported late last week, responses from those who'd gone to the US Mission to see the evidence included "not convinced" to "the same as shown in the capital."
A European country, in the meeting with those who asked the UN to probe the August 21 incident, grilled the US. Does McDonough know this? Or think that the public doesn't?
On ABC's show This Week, McDonough said he's "outraged" at the suggestion that the US would be operating as Al Qaeda's air force. Is it outrageous to suggest that a strike might help the armed opposition, including Al Qaeda?
On Face the Nation, McDonough announced that this vote is really a vote on Iran. Really?
Drama occurred on Face the Nation, when Bob Schieffer put Charlie Rose on to say he'd had an interview with Bashar al Assad, but wouldn't show it until Monday night on PBS. Rose said Assad referred to Aleppo. But what did he say? Commercial tease (for an ostensibly non-commercial network) in the run up to war?
Schieffer delivered his view, that strikes should go forward because the US said they would. Oh. Then he said, Some of our stations are leaving us now. Some of your viewers, too.
From the UN, after @InnerCityPress was named one of two "Twitterati 100" covering the UN by Foreign Policy magazine, and after InnerCityPress.com ran articles questioning how the US is doling out information and questions to those on the UNCA Executive Committee whosponsored a faux "UN briefing" by Saudi sponsored Syria rebel boss Jarba, those insiders launched two counterfeit social media accounts.
This hostility was noticed, overseas and in Washington.
The goal is confusion - they've followed diplomats, reporters and others -- and to undermine Inner City Press and questions being asked. But questions and reporting will continue. Watch this site.
