by Stephen Lendman

Real journalists report issues responsibly. Scoundrels operate by different rules. They play lead US imperial roles. Without them, pretexts for war wouldn't matter. Selling them depends on widespread dissemination. Messages not heard don't exist.

Regurgitating official lies legitimizes attacking one nonbelligerent nation after another. Responsible parties share guilt with war planners.

Blood drenches their hands. Peace and stability are rejected. So are rule of law principles and democratic values. Global barbarism defines their thinking. It shows in what they endorse.

Perhaps mass slaughter and destruction energize them. They're paid to lie. They support imperial war lords. Truth and full disclosure are verboten. They willingly promote the unconscionable.

They endorse different moral standards than most people. Their world isn't fit to live in. Perhaps they'll go too far and help destroy it. Imagine it because it's possible.

Real news and information are suppressed. Iran's Press TV, Russia Today, Voice of Russia, and the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) provide them. They promote truth, stability, democratic values, sovereign independence, cooperative international relations, and peace.

They reject war, interfering in other nations' internal affairs, and bullying them to support policies against their own interests.

Press TV quoted Iranian President on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement's (NAM) summit, saying:

"Today, the global conditions are changing drastically and independent nations should stand by each other to achieve justice and humanity."

He added than Iran won't cave under Western pressure. "(H)egemons never seek benevolence and justice. (Their) policies have always brought war, oppression and discrimination."

Media scoundrels point fingers the wrong way. Victims are blamed for Western crimes. On August 29, SANA headlined "Mercenary Terrorists Continue Killing and Terrorist Acts against Syrians," saying:

Complicit neighboring states help them slip through porous borders. They're trained in Turkey, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other regional countries. They're led by Western and regional special forces. Foreign intelligence elements are also involved.

They're sent to kill and destroy. Civilians, state security forces, and government loyalists are prime targets.

Mohamad Ali Ahmad was captured. He admitted belonging to "an armed terrorist group along with" other like-minded extremists.

Bilhaj Ahmad appeared on Syrian television. He came to Syria via Tunis, Libya, and Turkey. He was trained to use Kalashnikovs, RBGs, PKCs, and Dushka machineguns. He spent time in Egypt with Al Qaeda elements.

A separate report headlined “Terrorists Slaughter Civilians in Zamalka to Incite World Public Opinion against Syria,” saying:

Mercenaries slaughtered civilian men and women. Bodies were placed inside a booby-trapped mosque. Blowing it up is planned on the eve of the Security Council’s August 30 ministerial meeting.

Expect headlines to blame Assad. France called for the session. At issue is discussing Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov won’t attend.

Russia’s Kommersant newspaper predicts failure. It said perhaps only France will show up.

Syria's Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem called Washington the lead anti-Syrian belligerent. Other nations are "instruments" it controls.

America doesn't fight international terrorism, he said. It instigates and supports it. He accused "foreign elements" of hijacking Syrian peace and stability.

"I don't accept as a citizen to return back centuries to a regime which can bring Syria backwards," he added. "In principle….no government in the world can accept an armed terrorist group, some of them coming from abroad, controlling streets and villages in the name of jihad."

At Tehran's NAM summit, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and others urged resolving Syria's conflict through dialogue without foreign intervention or interference.

Washington, key NATO partners, regional allies, and supportive media scoundrels want Syrian violence ended by more of it before moving on against Iran.

Red lines are drawn. Pretexts are created. Threats head closer to policies. Regional war looms. The worst of all possible worlds may follow.

War hawks aren't deterred. Neither are media scoundrels. They support what they should condemn. Syria and Iran are prime targets.

Launched in October 2011, the NY Times eXaminer (NYTX) is "An antidote to the 'paper of record.' " It advocates responsible journalism, factual reporting, honest commentaries, and telling readers what they most need to know.

It's about holding irresponsible NYT contributors accountable, exposing their misinformation, and explaining what they suppress.

It's what "journalism" is supposed to be. It's about telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing else. As America's most influential broadsheet, the NYT matters most. Its reports circulate globally.

On vital issues, it fails on all counts. Wealth and power interests are served. Readers are betrayed. Instead of condemning American imperialism, it lends supports.

Millions die. Many more suffer. One war segues to another. Syria and Iran are prime targets. On August 29, NYTX headlined "Iran's Call for Nuclear Abolition by 2025 is Unreported by the New York Times," saying:

The Times supports war with Iran. Its Pentagon handout reporting promoted attacking Iraq. It ignored Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi's plea. Addressing NAM summit officials, he urged elimination of nuclear arsenals in 13 years or less.

He called it a reasonable timetable. Weapons this destructive shouldn't exist. The Times ignored his plea. It's given readers scant NAM coverage. It's dismissive of a major world event, its peace agenda, and other vital themes responsible journalists would report.

Instead of supporting Tehran's ban the bomb initiative, Times articles, commentaries, and editorials invent a nonexistent threat. On August 27, it headlined "Iran's Nuclear Quest," saying:

Iran's moving closer to producing "bomb-grade fuel. This is unsettling news….Iran’s continuing activity violates United Nations Security Council demands to halt enrichment…."

Why should it? Doing so complies fully with NPT provisions. Dozens of other nations do the same thing. Only Tehran draws criticism. Clearly something besides nuclear power is at issue. Times editorial writers know but won't say.

Instead, they're pushing Obama "to act against Iran soon." So far they've stopped short of urging war. Incrementally they're moving closer.

They call this week's NAM summit "a major blow." Doing so denounces global peace. Iran's agenda is maliciously distorted.

NAM gives "Tehran the perfect propaganda opportunity to play the victim and defend a nuclear program that is indefensible."

According to TimesThink, Washington should prevent Iran's legitimate use of nuclear energy. It's only a matter of time before war is urged.

On August 28, The Times targeted Syria. An editorial headlined "A Refugee Disaster in the Making." Fingers pointed the wrong way. What's going on wasn't explained.

It noted increasing bloodshed. Victims are blamed for death squad crimes. People "are fleeing (Assad's) desperate and escalating efforts to hang on to power."

It called foreign invaders civil war. It claimed growing opposition strength. They're being routed from one location after another. They're murdering civilian men, women and children along the way. Assad is blamed, not them.

Stiffer sanctions, a no-fly zone and/or humanitarian corridor are urged. Imposed sanctions are illegal. Controlling Syria's air space and/or ground areas means war.

Washington must reassess its role, says The Times. Without saying so, endorsing more war creeps closer.

Washington Post is similar. On August 27, its editorial headlined "Syria's escalating slaughter," saying:

"EVIDENCE IS emerging of yet another horrific massacre by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, this time in the suburbs of Damascus."

Western-recruited death squads were responsible. Russia Today reported people killed by sniper fire. Others were shot "execution-style in house-to-house raids." Gruesome video footage aired on Syrian television.

Assad condemned the killings. He denied responsibility. Syria's Ath-Thawra newspaper said government forces "cleared the town of Daraya of the remnants of armed terrorist groups which committed crimes that traumatized (its residents) and destroyed public and private property."

Activists and independent observers blame insurgents, not Assad. Residents welcome Syrian forces when they're routed. Previous massacres and this one bear similar fingerprints. No ambiguity prevents knowing who's responsible.

The Post's Editorial Board lied. It wants war. It calls less aggressive action "morally bankrupt." It feeds readers similar opinions on Iran. It won't likely stop until the entire region and beyond is embroiled.

Perhaps a few million more corpses will satiate its appetite. The Times and other media sources also want blood. Apologies won't follow later evidence proving what they endorsed was wrong. Scoundrels don't admit errors or say they're sorry.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

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