‘Blame Russia’ media blitz aims to dehumanize and demonize
By suggesting Russia’s involvement in the recent gas attack in Syria is part of a wider effort to gain political support for what could amount to potential war, says Danish journalist Iben Thranholm.
CNN has been running yet another unsubstantiated news report against Russia, this time over Russia's possible involvement in the chemical attack in Syria's Idlib province. The article, which provides only empty speculation anchored on zero evidence, is purportedly based on inside information provided by an anonymous "senior US defense official".
RT: Why is the Western news, especially CNN, pushing the idea of Russian involvement in the chemical attack in Syria when the UN investigation is not even completed yet?
Iben Thranholm: I think it is the same procedure as usual. I mean, it is quite obvious to everybody that part of that strategy from the neoconservative movement or the political elite in the US is to ‘blame Russia’. Whenever they want to gain something politically, they always blame Russia. I was only waiting for it that they of course would start to blame Russia for this gas attack. I think it is because for years they have been demonizing Russia and that is a good pretext for war. This is sort of gain political support for full-scale war because when you dehumanize people and their leader it is very easy to go to war and blame them for everything. I think this is a pretext or a way to try to gain public support for a full-scale war.
RT: What damage has been done to US and Russian co-operation regarding Syria? Can it be repaired?
IT: It depends on the US. What are they really doing in Syria? Do they want to attack Assad and Russia? Or do they want to defeat ISIS? Donald Trump has said from the beginning when he was campaigning that he wanted to defeat ISIS. If you make a shift and you start to cooperate to defeat terrorism, I think maybe the relationship can be restored. But if the agenda is to attack Assad and to go against Russia, they are actually making a victory for ISIS, what I think they have already done by attacking Homs. This is really very crucial: what is the agenda in Syria? And if it is to remove Assad, I think it has damaged the relationship with Russia enormously and it could start a war.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
