Fake news headlines promote wars of aggression

Without major media support, US imperial wars might not get off the dime. They’re vital to gain public support or at least prevent strong opposition.

On August 4, 1964, the NYT headlined “Attack in the Gulf of Tonkin.” No attack occurred.

The Times and other media scoundrels falsely said North Vietnamese torpedo boats “deliberate[ly] attack[ed]” the USS Maddox in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Naked US aggression raged in Southeast Asia until April 30, 1975, millions of lives lost, enormous destruction inflicted on Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, a generation of US youths adversely affected.

One of numerous Times 9/11 headlines said “US ATTACKED; President Vows to Exact Punishment for ‘Evil.’ “

Both incidents were false flags, 9/11 the mother of them all, launching endless wars of aggression in multiple theaters, other countries on America’s target list to attack.

Countless millions more lives were lost in the past 17 years, trillions of dollars spent on mass slaughter and destruction instead of for vital homeland needs.

Syria was one of the countries attacked, naked US aggression on a nation threatening no one, perhaps over a million lives lost so far, large parts of the country destroyed, the world’s greatest refugee crisis created—no end of conflict in sight.

It’s about to worsen if Trump follows through on his threat to attack Syrian forces and military sites based on a Big Lie—media scoundrels supporting what demands condemnation.

On Wednesday, the neocon/CIA house organ Washington Post headlined “Nerve gas used in Syria attack, leaving victims ‘foaming at the mouth,’ evidence suggests.”

No such evidence exists. Clear evidence proves no CW attack occurred. It doesn’t matter when Big Lies repeated enough get most people to believe them.

WaPo: “Warplanes dropped bombs, families hid in basements, and ambulances raced through empty streets to rescue the injured.”

“But when gasping, trembling people, some of them foaming at the mouth, began streaming into one of the town’s few functioning clinics that evening, staff instantly knew something was different.”

“The victims emitted a powerful smell of chlorine, but there were more people affected than in previous chlorine attacks . . .”

Fact: All of the above is fake news, Big Lies. None of this happened, no one injured or killed. WaPo and other media scoundrels repeated fake news with no due diligence fact-checking.

WaPo: “Medical workers say a large number of people suffering unusual symptoms visited hospitals, and some of them died.”

“Later that evening a grisly video emerged showing a mangled pile of at least 30 bodies on the lower floor of an apartment building, none of them bearing any sign of physical injury but many with foam around their mouths.”

Fact: Reports of suffering people were phony, images fake, no one in Douma harmed by toxic agents of any kind.

WaPo: “Many of the activists, medical staffers and rescue workers with information about the attacks have since scattered, with many leaving Douma on buses headed north to rebel-held territory under the terms of the surrender deal reached Sunday between the rebels and the Russians.”

Fact: So-called “activists” are US-supported terrorists. So are “rebels.”

WaPo: “Residents who are still there insist that there was a chemical attack.”

“But many say they are increasingly afraid to talk now that Russian troops are deployed in the town and with Syrian government forces expected to return after the evacuations are complete.”

Fact: Syria Arab Red Crescent doctors, along with Russian medical personnel and toxic weapons experts interviewed numerous residents. None reported illnesses or deaths from CWs. None harmed themselves, no one hospitalized with these symptoms.

WaPo: “It remains unclear how many people died in the attack.”

Fact: It’s very clear—no deaths or injuries reported, none.

Like reports by many other media scoundrels, WaPo’s account was fake news, part of propaganda war to vilify Syria for what didn’t happen, an attempt to justify unjustifiable US-led aggression on Syrian forces and military facilities—risking direct confrontation with Russia.

Media scoundrels like WaPo share responsibility with Washington for whatever happens ahead.

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: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

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