A new war propagandist on the scene, seeking to make a name for himself among the Charles Listers, Eliot Higgins, Atlantic Council (NATO) types. Some reactions to his attempted smear on many of us, including yours truly. Note:
*I won’t include the shameful quote from Greenwald, who it seems never ceases to pander to establishment mindsets.
*Vanessa Beeley is *heavily* featured (smeared) in the (inaccurate and libelous) article… She has hit many nerves with her detailed exposing of the fraud that is the White Helmets, among many other issues.
From: “Chomsky, Hersh and… Boris Johnson? Twitter pundits ponder odd ‘Assadist’ blacklist,” August 27, 2018, RT.com
“…Featured on an unfrequented Medium blog, the “International Assadists References Directory” lists 151 people and organizations who have allegedly “expressed support and/or whitewashed the Assad regime.” The eclectic compilation of “Assadists” features individuals and groups of all political stripes and backgrounds, from the Greek nationalist political party Golden Dawn to Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters. Notable journalists such as Seymour Hersh, John Pilger, Peter Hitchens, Glenn Greenwald and Patrick Cockburn are also listed as reckless Assad apologists.
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Independent journalist and RT contributor Eva Bartlett, who was accorded an extensive entry in the directory, was particularly amused by the inclusion of Boris Johnson. In an email to RT, Bartlett pointed out that the former UK foreign secretary “supported the ‘Assad must go’ theme.”
Likewise, she said it was strange that journalists Robert Fisk and Peter Hitchens were included on the list, since they “write openly about their contempt for the Syrian government, but have also written honestly on crucial issues like alleged chemical attacks and the White Helmets narrative.”
Bartlett also highlighted the fact that many of the individuals included in the list have extensive on-the-ground experience in Syria, conducting in-depth reporting that often contradicts with mainstream narratives about the seven-year conflict.
“In fact, instead of successfully smearing us, Kester has compiled a go-to list of people to follow for original and truthful content on important international issues today, particularly Syria, Palestine, and Yemen,” Bartlett said. “More importantly, readers should be aware that the author is advocating R2P [Right to Protect] on Syria, aka the humanitarian destruction of that country as per Libya. That alone shows his intent with the smear is to silence voices who starkly oppose such a genocidal position.”
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Journalist Max Blumenthal believes the goal of the blacklist is to silence the critics of Western meddling in Syria.
“This McCarthyite blacklist is part of an effort to not only denigrate even soft opponents of Western intervention in Syria and beyond, but to literally criminalize dissent against the Washington consensus,” Blumenthal told RT. “It would be easy to dismiss this screed as the isolated irritable mental gesture of a random blogger if it hadn’t been shared by an array of pro-war pundits and regime change activists. In my view, the widespread sharing is the mark of a coordinated campaign.”
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Evidence used to indict the late Robert Parry amounted to a single link to a blog post about Andrew Spannaus – a journalist who has contributed around 20 articles to Parry’s website, Consortium News, since 2016. Even more odd, the article doesn’t discuss Spannaus’ writings about Syria. In other words, an article used to prove Parry’s Assadist worldview is not about Parry and does not focus on his website’s coverage of the Syrian conflict.
Patrick Henningsen, editor of 21st Century Wire and alleged Assadist, underscored that the list’s inclusion of deceased journalists Alexander Cockburn, who passed away in 2012, and Parry, who died earlier this year, revealed its amateurish nature.
“I didn’t realise this ‘directory’ was posthumous as well. What this demonstrates is that the author has very little grasp of the subject he is attempting to frame. If it were a high school report, it would’ve been graded a failure,” Henningsen told RT. “What’s most shocking however, is that former media professionals have actually endorsed this misadventure, which shows that they don’t care much for facts and reality either. All that seems to matter is who and whom. This speaks volumes as to the deteriorating level of critical thinking in political discourse in certain mainstream echo chambers.”
Henningsen said that, personally, he was flattered to share the blacklist alongside Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh, as well as Martha Gellhorn Prize-winners Patrick Cockburn and Gareth Porter…”
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@NeilClark66 Neil Clark:
On the subject of the unintentionally hilarious ´List of International Assadists’ (Don’t tell him Pike!´-‘Your name too is going on ze list!’) I’m sure it’s news to Craig Murray @CraigMurrayOrg that he was once the British Ambassador to Syria.
https://twitter.com/NeilClark66/status/1033460421989216257
@BenjaminNorton
So shameful. This former editor at The Guardian is signal-boosting a ridiculous, poorly sourced, error/lie-filled blacklist from a pro-opposition regime change activist who has argued so-called “Assadist propagandists” should “be held criminally liable
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1033101426166321152
In Gaza 
Another badge of honour!
“Notable journalists such as Seymour Hersh, John Pilger, Peter Hitchens, Glenn Greenwald and Patrick Cockburn are also listed as reckless Assad apologists”.
Probably because – as notable journalists do – they took the trouble to learn the facts, and did not shrink from stating them.
Incredible, this Rathcliff guy.
A new Dutch John McCain.
Ratcliff: idiocy at degree level.
I’ve not read it all, his writing style isn’t very appealing. Did it take him a year to write it? As you rightly point out, some of those convicted of being ‘Assadists’ clearly aren’t. Fisk, in particular dislikes him, it’s apparent every time he writes about Syria. Boris Johnson actually claimed that Russia were doing the right thing helping President Assad (in a newspaper article) but quickly changed his view when he became home secretary.
I was trying to find Eliot Higgins financial supporters yesterday. I don’t think I discovered them all but what I did discover was that he’s receiving serious amounts of cash from dubious sources. It would be understandable if his research and investigations were exceptionally good but they aren’t. It appears Mr Ratcliff’s work is equally shoddy but if the people supporting him are the same as Higgins, quality isn’t their priority.
I have to admit that i laughed out loud at this list.
I know it was an inappropriate thing to do, considering just how serious the implications and the ongoing censorship of anything but the ‘approved narrative’ is.
The names on it make for some pretty strange bed fellows, or is that grave fellows. It is seems to me to be a blatant attempt to raise the authors standing among the necon deep state puppet masters.
How can anyone with the ability to understand that there is more than one side to every story, and capable of critical thought take this seriously?
Sadly the majority of the populations of the ‘developed western nations’ appear to have lost the ability to think critically or to even accept there is indeed a different view to that which they are fed by all their media sources. I think even the old adage ‘One man’s freedom fighter is another mans terrorist’, is now lost on these people.
Unfortunately the other sides to every story are being strangled with BS like this. In recent times that censorship ramped up and continued with Alex Jones, which the prestitutes clapped there hands with glee at and celebrated as great news, this (as expected and widely suggested), paved the way to extend the censorship to everyone who does not follow the ‘correct story’, as we saw in the following weeks and is ongoing.
This list will just add to that ‘justification’ I expect to see all internet presence of the persons on this list to be severely restricted at best on the most part.
I have to say I agree with Patrick Henningsen, when he says he was flattered to be on the list, I suggest you all wear it as a badge of honor and please please do not give up the fight we need your voices, you are all quite obviously doing something right to be included! I wish i could do more to support you all and help get the other sides across.
He eulogized McCain, lol.
Oh, and charmingly spoke of wanting to “disembowel” British oped authors who write on Syria…https://twitter.com/KevorkAlmassian/status/1035161193776918529
I doubt it took long to write as it was mainly copy-pasted from smears prior. Guy didn’t even bother to write an intro to my section (so offended :p )
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