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Globalization and politics

Michael Cruickshank
Freelance Conflict Journalist
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piqer: Michael Cruickshank
Saturday, 30 June 2018

One Building, One Bomb: How Assad Gassed His Own People

On April 7 this year, a chemical attack was launched against the town of Douma in Syria, on the outskirts of Damascus. More than 40 people were killed, and the world was once again left to piece together what had happened.

While the US and its allies blamed the Syrian Regime of Bashar al-Assad, Russia and Syria pushed conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory about what had actually taken place. Shamefully, many journalists, notably including those on the far-left and far-right, incorporated this denialist disinformation into their analysis of the event. And while it was not enough to stop a rather piecemeal US retaliatory strike, it served to muddy the waters and confuse the public and politicians over what had really taken place.

So what’s the truth?

Months after the event, the New York Times, working with investigatory groups Bellingcat and Forensic Architecture, has reconstructed the minute details of the strike. Using multiple videos, expert testimonies, and 3D modeling, they conclusively prove the Syrian regime’s responsibility for the attack. While the investigation has come much too late to change (or solidify) the media narrative on this crime against humanity, it ought to serve as a model for how future reporting on this kind of event should be conducted. 

One Building, One Bomb: How Assad Gassed His Own People
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