Introducing a report on the ongoing civil war in Syria on Monday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams made sure to promote PR from the White House: "...the
State Department and the Pentagon are now working together on plans for
Syria after Assad, hoping to avoid the chaos they believe broke out
because of the lack of planning for a post-Saddam Iraq." [Listen to the audio [1]]
However, the report that followed by chief foreign correspondent
Richard Engel seemed to undermine the notion of a well-planned U.S.
strategy in Syria against the Assad regime: "A rebel commander with a
hundred fighters in [the city of] Aleppo told us today if the rebels
don't receive a massive influx of weapons within the next 72 hours,
they'll have to give up the fight."
Even more stunning, on Sunday's Nightly News, Engel reported
that the lack of support and weapons from western countries was actually
driving Syrian opposition forces into the arms of Al Qaeda: "Ali's men
don't have enough weapons to fight and they're dying.... Al Qaeda, he
says, has offered his unit money and weapons, and he's willing to take
it....they'd rather have support from the United States, the U.N. or
Europe, but it hasn't come. Without support, Al Qaeda could make major
inroads in Syria, among rebels so desperate for help, they'll take it
from anywhere."
While Engel's reporting certainly implied inaction by the Obama
administration was actually creating "chaos" in Syria, neither he nor
Williams dared to mention such a possibility.
Back in May and June, NBC routinely dismissed Republican calls to arm the Syrian rebels. On the May 30 Nightly News,
chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell helpfully touted
White House talking points: "Others, including John McCain, say the U.S.
should arm the rebels. But the White House believes the only real
options are to squeeze Assad economically and diplomatically."
In a June 13 Nightly News report, Mitchell hit Mitt Romney in a
similar fashion: "Mitt Romney says the US should arm the rebels, but
today former Secretary of State Colin Powell argued the US should not
get in the middle of Syria's civil war."
During an interview with McCain on the June 17 edition of Meet the Press, host David Gregory interrogated the Republican senator over his calls to arm opposition forces:
JOHN MCCAIN: This president does not believe in American leadership and
American exceptionalism. And so we need to give them a sanctuary, we
need to give them equipment, working with other nations in the region
and give these people a chance.
DAVID GREGORY: But you say he doesn't believe in American
exceptionalism just because he won't send arms into what could become a
bloody civil war?
MCCAIN: No, no. Every-
GREGORY: That's what you want to get involved in?
MCCAIN: No. Everything that the president has displayed from the
beginning of his presidency is that he does not believe in American-
GREGORY: So you are not worried about the kind of civil war we've seen
elsewhere in the Middle East by, by adding arms into a sectarian
conflict in Syria?
MCCAIN: And you are not worried about a continued massacre and
slaughter of people – innocent people, women being raped and children
being tortured and killed? You're not worried about that? You should be.
GREGORY: Leaders make decisions all the time about where and – where to intervene and where not.
MCCAIN: Leaders make-
GREGORY: We're not intervening in Darfur and those women are being raped and kids are being killed there, too.
Here is a full transcript of Engel's August 5 report detailing the growing influence of Al Qaeda in Syria:
6:37PM ET
BRIAN WILLIAMS: And turning to news overseas, we continue our reporting
on the civil war in Syria. And there are concerns just tonight that Al
Qaeda may be trying to infiltrate rebel groups battling the Syrian
government. Our chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel tells us
tonight he has found evidence, in the rebel group he's been traveling
with, of the very same thing.
RICHARD
ENGEL: Rebels from the Justice Brigade meet at one of their
headquarters and head out on a scouting mission for an attack on a
Syrian military check point. They move to a hill top. Hidden among olive
trees, they can see Syrian troops on a road below and discuss how best
to ambush them, with bombs and machine guns. From here they can see the
Syrian military positions that they plan to attack and there appear to
be five, maybe six armored vehicles.
But the brigade commander, Ali Bachran tells us the mission must be
called off. Ali and his men are deeply frustrated. It's the second
attack they've had to cancel for lack of weapons in two weeks. Ali's men
don't have enough weapons to fight and they're dying. We've been with
Ali's unit on two trips for nearly a month. His fighters are secular,
welcoming to foreigners, not religious extremists. So we were shocked by
what Ali told us. Al Qaeda, he says, has offered his unit money and
weapons, and he's willing to take it.
ALI BACHRAN: We will accept arms and money from anyone, even Al Qaeda.
ENGEL: Ali's brother and top lieutenant Ahmed, who has no interest
either in Al Qaeda, was even more insistent they take Al Qaeda's offer.
AHMED BACHRAN: I will go to them and raise their flag if they give me support.
ENGEL: Ali and Ahmed both say they'd rather have support from the
United States, the U.N. or Europe, but it hasn't come. Without support,
Al Qaeda could make major inroads in Syria, among rebels so desperate
for help, they'll take it from anywhere. Richard Engel, NBC News,
northern Syria.