What the Assault on Whistleblowers Has to Do With War on Syria by Norman Solomon

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http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/08/28-0


US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks on Syria at the State Department in Washington on August 26, 2013. As the push for an attack on Syria continues, the adversarial press is again nowhere to be seen. (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

Without whistleblowers, the mainline media outlets are more transfixed than ever with telling the official story. And at a time like this, the official story is all about spinning for war on Syria.

Every president who wants to launch another war can’t abide whistleblowers. They might interfere with the careful omissions, distortions and outright lies of war propaganda, which requires that truth be held in a kind of preventative detention.

By mid-week, media adrenalin was at fever pitch as news reports cited high-level sources explaining when the U.S. missile attacks on Syria were likely to begin, how long they might last, what their goals would be. But what about other (potential) sources who have documents and other information that contradict the official story?

It’s never easy for whistleblowers to take the risk of exposing secret realities. At times like these, it’s especially difficult—and especially vital—for whistleblowers to take the chance.