{"id":2380661,"date":"2024-12-16T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T21:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/humiliating-cnns-dramatic-syrian-rescue-appears-to-crumble-under-closer-scrutiny\/"},"modified":"2024-12-16T16:39:02","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T21:39:02","slug":"humiliating-cnns-dramatic-syrian-rescue-appears-to-crumble-under-closer-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/humiliating-cnns-dramatic-syrian-rescue-appears-to-crumble-under-closer-scrutiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Humiliating: CNN&#8217;s Dramatic Syrian Rescue Appears to Crumble Under Closer Scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhumiliating-cnns-dramatic-syrian-rescue-appears-to-crumble-under-closer-scrutiny%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2380661&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>CNN recently faced criticism for reporting a story about \u2063a man they claimed to have &#8220;freed&#8221; from a Syrian \u200dprison, only to discover later that he was a notorious torturer from Bashar al-Assad&#8217;s regime. Upon visiting teh prison, journalist Clarissa Ward and her crew found a well-groomed man named Adel Ghurbal, who stated he had been locked up for three months. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">fact-checkers revealed<\/a> that Ghurbal is actually Salama Mohammad Salama, a first lieutenant \u200dknown for his cruel actions during the Syrian conflict, including torture and the wrongful detention\u200c of civilians.<\/p>\n<p>In response to this revelation, CNN acknowledged that they \u200dmay have been misled\u2062 by the man\u2019s false identity and are conducting a deeper investigation into\u200b his background. The \u200bincident raises questions about the network&#8217;s vetting process, as there were several red flags that should have alerted the team to discrepancies in the story. This \u2064event comes amidst an ongoing search for American journalist Austin \u200dTice, who vanished in Syria in 2012, adding further complexity to the situation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>CNN appears to have been duped by a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/discover-card-cuts-ties-with-palestinian-terror-linked-organization\/\" title=\"Discover Card Cuts Ties With Palestinian Terror-Linked Organization\">notorious member<\/a> of Bashar al-Assad&rsquo;s fallen regime.<\/p>\n<p>CNN chief international journalist Clarissa Ward <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/clarissaward\/status\/1866987136429531591\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called it<\/a> &ldquo;one of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed,&rdquo; when she and her film crew &ldquo;freed&rdquo; the man from a prison cell.<\/p>\n<p>The CNN <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/11\/world\/video\/syrian-prisoner-freed-clarissa-ward-digvid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">story<\/a> showed Ward visiting a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/syria-falls-druze-communities-beg-israel-annexed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Syrian<\/a> Air Force intelligence headquarters in Damascus when she and her crew came upon a man wrapped in a blanket inside a locked, windowless cell.<\/p>\n<p>It was the only cell in the prison for political prisoners at the facility that was locked and occupied. The man, who identified himself as Adel Ghurbal, said he had been in the cell for three months.<\/p>\n<p>However, he was wearing clean clothes and was well-groomed.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BREAKING: Syrian prisoner &ldquo;freed&rdquo; by CNN last week is Salama Mohammad Salama, notorious Assad regime torturer <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ZHpNzfiIYQ\">pic.twitter.com\/ZHpNzfiIYQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EndWokeness\/status\/1868665399858044975?\">December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The &ldquo;independent and unbiased&rdquo; Syrian <a href=\"https:\/\/verify-sy.com\/en\/page\/3006\/Our-vision\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fact-checker<\/a> site Verify-Sy refuted the man&rsquo;s account reporting Ghurbal is actually Salama Mohammad Salama.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Salama, known as &lsquo;Abu Hamza,&rsquo; is a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence, notorious for his activities in Homs. Residents of the Al-Bayyada neighborhood identified him as frequently stationed at a checkpoint in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-does-tim-walz-bring-to-the-table-for-harris-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"What does Tim Walz bring to the table for Harris? - Washington Examiner\">area&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s western entrance, infamous for its abuses,&rdquo; Verify-Sy said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Despite his seemingly innocent and composed demeanor in the CNN report, Salama has a grim history. He participated in military operations on several fronts in Homs in 2014, killed civilians, and was responsible for detaining and torturing numerous young men in the city without cause or on fabricated charges,&rdquo; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-checkers-try-to-spin-irs-hiring-agents-willing-to-use-deadly-force\/\" title=\"Fact Checkers Try to Spin IRS Hiring Agents Willing to Use Deadly Force\">fact checker added<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Many were targeted simply for refusing to pay bribes, rejecting cooperation, or even for arbitrary reasons like their appearance. These details were corroborated by families of victims and former detainees who spoke with Verify-Sy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>According to the report, locals said he had been incarcerated less than a month ago for a dispute with a higher-ranking officer over profit-sharing of extorted funds.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/longtime-cnn-anchor-announces-quitting-network-concludes-broadcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> seemingly conceded it may have had the wool pulled over its eyes by the man saying in a statement to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/12\/16\/world-news\/prisoner-filmed-by-cnn-being-freed-from-syrian-prison-was-actually-notorious-assad-regime-torturer-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>, &ldquo;We have subsequently been investigating his background and are aware that he may have given a false identity.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are continuing our reporting into this and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-investigates-story-of-syrian-prisoner-getting-rescued-in-its-viral-video-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"CNN investigates story of Syrian prisoner getting \u2018rescued\u2019 in its viral video - Washington Examiner\">wider story<\/a>,&rdquo; the network added.<\/p>\n<p>There were certainly multiple red flags Ward and her producers at CNN should have picked up on: the only locked and occupied cell, the man&rsquo;s appearance and demeanor, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Ward said they had been in search for missing American journalist and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/daniel-penny-accepts-invitation-jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marine Corps veteran<\/a> Austin Tice, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/12\/15\/mother-austin-tice-missing-syria-government-00194419\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">disappeared<\/a> in 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The man from our report, reunited with a family member. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jQ8om9APzM\">https:\/\/t.co\/jQ8om9APzM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/clarissaward\/status\/1867916184386986456?\">December 14, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Obviously, finding him would be a major story, but barring that, CNN apparently was all too willing to grab onto another happy story, which appears to be based on a lie.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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Clarissa Ward, CNN&#8217;s chief international journalist, described the incident as &#8220;one of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed&#8221; when she and her team &#8220;liberated&#8221; a man from a prison cell. The report featured Ward at an ex-Syrian Air Force intelligence site in Damascus, where they discovered a man wrapped in a blanket inside a locked, windowless cell\u2014 the only one occupied for political prisoners. The individual identified himself as Adel Ghurbal and claimed he had been imprisoned for three months; however, he appeared well-groomed and dressed in clean clothes.<\/p>\n<p>A fact-checking site called Verify-Sy later disputed his claims, revealing that Ghurbal is actually Salama Mohammad Salama, known as &#8216;Abu Hamza,&#8217; who served as a first lieutenant in Syrian Air Force Intelligence and was notorious for his actions in Homs. According to Verify-Sy, locals recognized him from his frequent presence at an abusive checkpoint. Despite his calm demeanor during the CNN report, Salama has a dark past involving military operations that resulted in civilian deaths and numerous detentions based on false accusations or arbitrary reasons.<\/p>\n<p>The report indicated that he had recently been jailed due to conflicts with higher-ranking officers over extorted funds. In response to this revelation, CNN acknowledged potential deception on Salama&#8217;s part regarding his identity and stated they are investigating further into this matter.<\/p>\n<p>There were several warning signs that should have raised suspicions for Ward and her producers: the solitary locked cell and the man&#8217;s appearance among them. They were reportedly searching for missing American journalist Austin Tice during their visit; finding him would have made headlines but instead led them to embrace what appears to be another fabricated story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2380662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/cnn-rescue.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[9373,33295,36303,46917],"class_list":["post-2380661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cnn","tag-media-criticism","tag-news-analysis","tag-syrian-rescue"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/cnn-rescue.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2380661"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2380665,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2380661\/revisions\/2380665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2380662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2380661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2380661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2380661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}