Syria rebels led me into death trap

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 13 years ago

Alex Thomson, a British journalist, claims he was intentionally led into a dangerous situation by Syrian rebels. The incident took place near the Lebanese border, raising concerns about rebel tactics.

Summary

LONDON: A British journalist claims that Syrian rebels set him up to die in a no man's land near the Lebanese border, saying he believes they hoped he would be shot by government forces.

Channel 4 News's chief correspondent Alex Thomson said in a blog post that a rebel escort led him, his driver, and his translator to a dead end in "free-fire zone" around the town of Qusair.

He says it was "quite clear the rebels deliberately set us up to be shot by the Syrian Army," adding that if he and his colleagues were shot by government forces then it would have been a propaganda coup for the rebels.

In an email, Thomson said there was "absolutely no way" that Monday's incident was an accident. -AP
 

KEY POINTS:

• British journalist Alex Thomson describes a deadly setup by Syrian rebels.
• He claims rebels led him into a no man's land near Qusair.
• The incident was seen as a potential propaganda opportunity for the rebels.
• Thomson asserts the situation was not an accident.
• Concerns raised over the tactics of Syrian opposition forces.