Lebanese Claim Syria 'Terrorist' Footage a Fabrication
Seven Lebanese men on Tuesday denounced Syria's authorities for what they said was false usage of footage filmed in 2008 to prove "terrorist" involvement in unrest rocking Syria.
The seven men at a press conference in Tripoli's impoverished Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood showed what they said was the original video they had shot and posted on Facebook, and identified themselves one by one.
"The footage aired by the Syrians is fabricated and full of lies and we urge the Lebanese government to protect us," said Ahmed Said, who bore a strong resemblance to one man in the video.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Monday aired gruesome video footage he said showed "terrorist" groups killing Syrian troops in various towns across the country.
In one segment, a group of armed bearded men are shown making their way through some bushes and trees, with the caption "Footages (sic) of the members of the terrorist armed gangs, at training" in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia.
The seven Lebanese said the segment had nothing to do with the Syrian revolt and was actually footage they themselves filmed in 2008 during clashes in Lebanon.
They accompanied a number of journalists, including one from AFP, to the area where they said the video was shot.
"This video was filmed on our phones behind the Luqman school at the northern entrance to Tripoli where we were defending our families and our districts in 2008," said Ahmad Issa, identifying himself in the footage.
He was referring to sectarian clashes in May of that year that left more than 100 people dead across Lebanon.
Issa said he and his peers had filmed the gathering and posted it to Facebook back in 2008.
He said residents of Bab al-Tabbaneh noticed the footage was first used five months ago by satellite channel Dunia, owned by Syrian President Bashar Assad's tycoon cousin Rami Makhlouf.
"Now that the regime has come out and falsely claimed this footage, we now have to stand up and defend ourselves and our families: I have never been to Syria, nor have any of us here," Issa said.
Tension is rising in Lebanon over the Syria crisis, which has deepened a rift between a pro-Syrian alliance led by Hizbullah and a western-backed opposition led by ex-premier Saad Hariri.
The United Nations estimates that more than 3,500 people have died in a crackdown by Syrian security forces since March on anti-regime protest. Damascus blames "armed terrorist gangs" for the unrest.
29 November 2011, 15:17
08
It is fabricated, I have seen the footage...Idiot Baathists, I can't believe they tried such an obvious lie to the world...a bunch of idiots that only know how to murder...
29 November 2011, 15:36
08
I remember when Michel Aoun was showing photos of what was meant to be Lebanese Forces members shooting at people in the streets 2 years ago... same shit different day
29 November 2011, 16:02
08
Ya Charbel please respect the General cal him by his real name, Michel Clown :) Mr. clown needs to post pictures or video footage of him or forces attacking Bkirki & vendalizing it.. now he claims he is the role model or should we say the leader of the savior of the Christians. I believe he is nothing but a sore looser.
29 November 2011, 16:38
08
How can anyone possibly continue to believe the Syrian regime? They stole video from a facebook page and were caught in the lie...and yet some in Lebanon still blindly believe everything they say? Can you explain yourselves?
29 November 2011, 17:09
40
They are talking about a part that's less than 10 seconds. The whole clip Muallim showed is much longer and has a lot more material. Also the clip was originally posted by "Syrian opposition" to show "army and security defectors", so now they're also admitting that they were lying.
29 November 2011, 17:58
30
Yeah right. Bashar is sooooo desperate after he saw the millions of warriors in Tripoli waiting for the zero hour to attack and liberate toe Sunni crazies.
29 November 2011, 19:24
01
If the footage is shot by lebanese people, than who killed all those people
you have the blood of killers and terrorist on your hands
Are you guys part of those terrorist gangs, who killed those people
why doesn't lebanese judiciary investigating you guys
29 November 2011, 21:20
01
New TV last night (an anti M14 station) aired a footage to show that the video was taken in Lebanon and not Syria. I love to see one article or footage in any Anti-M8 stations showing many of the fake videos shown by the Ikhwan.
29 November 2011, 22:17
20
John Koura. Im a muslim (sunni), and honestly you are one of the very few honest people on this site. Why are people such hypocrites i wonder... cant they see that both the syrian regime and the opposition have within them terrorists and murderers that have comitted so many crimes. Unfortunatly march 14 only care about revenging the asad family and not about the syrian people and march 8 only care about their interests and not the syrian people. Wish more lebanese could be like you.
30 November 2011, 02:10
00
Murad al Mareed you are partly correct the footage shot in North Lebanon was a few minutes long the rest was from south Lebanon and the lynching of the egyptian rapist then the bloody burial. The footage was old and from different parts of Lebanon Lebanon the only thing we saw that was genuinely filled in Syria was of Farso manning the television and Fatso and his boss Sylvester can keep lying as long as idiots such as yourself will keep believing the lies.
30 November 2011, 02:24
01
John from Koura in this case being anti M14 has nothing to do with New TV's reporting because as of late it's been one of the loudest critics of the Syrian regime massacres against it's people coincidentally as have many prominent Al-Akhbar reporters who chose to quit rather than report Bibo Al Amin's cover ups.
30 November 2011, 10:10
01
@Murad
Welcome to naharnet! The mentally challenged are now better represented on this forum thanx to you.
