Stephen Lendman: Western Media War on Syria!

On January 6, Assad called for "comprehensive national dialogue in the near future." He rules out negotiating "with a puppet made by the West." He advocates responsibly engaging opposition elements and other political parties. "Syria wants peace and reconciliation," he stressed. "Armed groups must halt terrorist acts."Since early 2011, Washington waged war on Syria. Proxy death squads are used. They're recruited abroad. They're heavily armed, funded, trained and directed. They infiltrate across borders. Syria was invaded. Nothing civil reflects protracted conflict. Syrians depend on Assad for protection. He's vilified for doing his job. He's blamed for death squad crimes. Propaganda wars target him. Media scoundrels are merciless. They march in lockstep with imperial US policy. They turn truth on its head. Doing so violates fundamental journalistic ethics. They do it anyway. They're paid liars. They mock legitimate journalism. Their reports and commentaries don't rise to the level of bad fiction. They embarrass themselves shamelessly. More on their comments below. Assad's speech was comprehensive, thoughtful, and responsible. He addressed what needs to be said. He correctly called foreign death squads "armed criminals, terrorists, enemies of God, and puppets of the West." State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland lied. She turned truth on its head. She ignored Washington's responsibility for nearly two years of conflict. She accused Assad of "yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power, and does nothing to advance the Syrian people's goal of a political transition." "His initiative is detached from reality, undermines the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, and would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people." She ignored rule of law principles. No nation may interfere in the internal affairs of others. America's Constitution prohibits it. She denied reality. Most Syrians support Assad. They condemn foreign invaders. They deplore Western meddling. They alone should decide who'll govern. The Syrian National Coalition for the Forces of the Opposition and the Revolution (SNC 2.0) said Assad's speech: confirms his incompetence as a head of state, who realizes the grave responsibilities he carries during this critical time in Syria's history."