Very, very few people are being honest about Syria; even those who are telling the truth. The truth they are telling is selective and without context. We should be aware of this.
Channels like RT, we can dismiss without a second thought, for obvious reasons. The picture they present of the conflict is reminiscent of Pravda-style absurd propaganda. As if Bashar was distributing flowers to the people up until 2011
Western news outlets are primarily concerned with building the rationale for an international “humanitarian” occupation of the liberated areas. Most of the time, they are telling the truth about atrocities committed by government forces and Russia; but they are doing it insincerely; they have an agenda. “The international community has failed the Syrian people”, they say. The reality is that the international community has succeeded in Syria. Aleppo was not their failure, but their victory, and they can now justify partition and occupation. They have even created conditions in Syria that will cause them to be invited.
“On the ground” pro-revolution activists/journalists are also largely telling the truth, but again it is selective; it is propaganda in its most effective form, and I am not criticizing them for that.
There are massive problems in rebel-held territories, there are abuses, there is corruption, and oppression and unjustifiable violence. “Our” reporters are not going to tell you that, because they are primarily concerned with gaining sympathy for the suffering inflicted by the government forces; and that is fine. They deserve sympathy. But we do have to be rational, and realize that we are not getting a complete picture. You cannot reject any and every allegation of wrongdoing by the rebel forces as “lies and propaganda”. The liberated areas are not a replication of Madinah under the Prophet ï·º.
If we can hear from the rebels themselves, and from the people themselves, and if we are ourselves honest, I doubt anyone would nominate a single rebel leader to establish a state. We support them all because their enemy is worse than them, and because their cause is a noble cause. But, frankly, by and large, they have no plans, and no capability to actualize a plan anyway even if they had one. Pretending that this is not the case is not helpful to anyone.