Saturday 14 July 2012

Syrian State TV Lies About Turks In Tremseh

In an article in today's New York Times a reference was made to claims on Syrian State TV that Turkish fighters were involved in fighting in Tremseh, site of a recent alleged massacre
State television also broadcast pictures of a roomful of weapons that it said had been captured from the town, the inventory mostly underscoring just what a crude and simple arsenal the opposition uses. It included 54 guns, 9 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 5,000 cartridges, 25 satellite telephones and 24 mortars, the latter looking as if they had been welded by hand.

The broadcast also showed the identification card of what it said was a Turkish fighter in the group, and a captured man named Abdelsalem Darwish said there had been a Turkish fighter and some Libyans there, as well as money and arms from Turkey.
Activist THE_47th posted a screenshot of the ID card as it was shown on Syrian State TV
Now the card has a few features that suggest the individual isn't Turkish.  First the name isn't a typically Turkish name, and Hama is mentioned on the card, which would make sense as the name at the top, Islahiye, is the location of a major Syrian refugee camp.  It also happens to look nothing like a Turkish ID card, for example (source)

You can contact the author on Twitter @Brown_Moses or email brownmoses@gmail.com

6 comments:

  1. You call that Debunking? thats a pretty much weak Debunking case.

    Brown Moses you do realize the Turkish ID card is from 2009 right?
    http://hopladedegi.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/nufus-cuzdani-id-card1.jpg?w=584

    Thats why i called out as an weak try to debunk.

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    1. My wife is Turkish and she's 100% certain that's not a Turkish citizens ID card, and I've seen plenty of them during my time in Turkey to know it's not either, so try harder next time Bruno.

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  2. yeah that'd be "a weak debunking", except it's a refugee card, not a turkish ID (why, i too had my ID photo taken outdoors! makes perfect sense!). so yeah, SANA is full of shit. color me surprised

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  3. Hi Brown Moses, do you have any imagery of the 'welded by hand' mortars which you've described? Thanks.

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    1. Here's the mortars they mention
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UISLUwJBUc8#t=45s

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    2. Those mortars are identical to Soviet pattern 82mm mortars. The indicators are the flash holes, fins and gas check bands. I don't think they are improvised.

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