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Young Syrian Confesses to Being Recruited as Eye Witness to Distort Truth in Syria

25-year-old Zakaraiya Mitleq from Syria’s Homs province revealed how he was recruited as an eye witness to appear on some biased satellite channels to falsify facts and fabricate stories and news with the aim of distorting the truth in Syria and harming the image of the Syrian security forces.
“In 2006, I became friends with a guy from Daraa called Mohammad al-Zu’bi at university who traveled to Saudi Arabia while I went back to Homs to work in aluminum carpentry,” Mitleq said in his confessions broadcast on the Syrian Television, noting that he once asked al-Zu’bi to help him find job in Saudi Arabia, but later contacts stopped between them.

“When events started in Syria, al-Zu’bi called me and asked me to provide him with information about what is going on and promised me a visa so that he can go to Saudi Arabia,” Mitleq added.

He continued that al-Zu’bi asked him once to talk to the BBC satellite channel and say that the security forces were shooting at the demonstrators in Homs and that in case he was asked to comment about the reforms, he should say they came late and to call for overthrowing the regime.

“On Friday, April 22nd, al-Zu’bi told me that the BBC was going to talk to me and they actually did around 5:30 am made sure that I knew what I was supposed to say. I was on air in a minute and told the presenter that there were demonstrations in Homs and the security forces were firing at them killing about 20 of them in Baba Amrou area. I told her so although the area is 70 km away from my house and I didn’t get out of my house that day,” said Mitleq.

“I was however surprised with a question I had no idea how to answer as al-Zu’bi hadn’t raised the issue to me before, as the presenter asked me on how we would be able to reach our demands and aims since we the demonstrators were not organized under any political parties. The only thing came to my mind then was that we would continue demonstrating until we got our freedom,” added Mitleq.

“After the phone call with the BBC ended, al-Zu’bi called to applaud me and promised to get me a Thuraya satellite phone so that I can talk to the BBC as an eye witness,” Mitleq pointed out.

He went on saying that al-Zu’bi told him about a group in Yabroud area who can get weapons to transfer them to Homs. “At this point I told him that I don’t want to be involved in the issue of weapons, but he advised me to think about it. However, I refused and told him that weapons are a red line.”

Mitleq added that al-Zu’bi told him that some people in Homs were collecting humanitarian aid to take them to Daraa and asked him if he could help in any way.

“I gave al-Zu’bi SYP 12,000 as a contribution from me and some of my friends. Then he asked me if I know someone to guide them to the way to Daraa. I told him that I would ask a friend of mine who lives in Damascus and I would go with them,” Mitleq said, noting that the deal was to arrive in Damascus before them.

“Al-Zu’bi asked me to meet a girl called “Dana” in Damascus who would help us in the humanitarian aid issue. I called Dana and met her. She really offered her help and said she already organized with her friends to send an aid convoy to Daraa accompanied with media coverage, cameras and Thuraya satellite phones to use them in creating chaos and media scandal in case the security forces prevented them from entering the city,” said Mitleq.

He added that after he agreed to keep contact with Dana, he headed back to Homs to take the group to Daraa, but he was arrested by the security forces in Damascus City.

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