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A brutal fact-check on a CNN reporter’s “most extraordinary” moment in Syria revealed the true identity of a purported prisoner as a henchman to deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad.

CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward’s reporting has spanned multiple continents and earned her multiple awards, including a Peabody for her coverage of the Syrian uprising at the onset of the civil war. Now some are wondering if she should be considered for her acting chops after covering the moment a supposed prisoner was “freed” which found her empathizing with a “notorious Assad regime torturer.”

The well-groomed appearance of the man claiming to be one “Adel Gharbal” threw up red flags for many as Ward was seen seeking to comfort the man said to have been left alone for four days in a secret Syrian prison, unaware that the regime had fallen after three months in captivity.

Looking into the matter, the Syrian fact-checking group Verify-Sy determined that “Adel Gharbal” was actually Air Force First Lieutenant Salama Mohammad Salama, “notorious for his activities in Homs.”

Verify-Sy drew attention to how “well-groomed, and physically healthy, with no visible injuries or signs of torture,” the man looked, “an incongruous portrayal of someone allegedly held in solitary confinement in the dark for 90 days.”

They further noted how he “did not flinch or blink even when gazing up at the sky.”

Also known as Abu Hamza, Salama, according to the fact-checkers, “reportedly managed several checkpoints in Homs and was involved in theft, extortion, and coercing residents into becoming informants. According to locals, his recent incarceration–lasting less than a month–was due to a dispute over profit-sharing from extorted funds with a higher-ranking officer. This led to his detention in one of Damascus’s cells, as per neighborhood sources.”

What was evident was that Salama was not among those who’d suffered the most under Assad’s regime while Ward declared the experience of locating the man under a blanket in a cell “one of the most extraordinary moments I have witnessed.”

Image via X

After it became apparent that the focus of the story was a man said to have killed civilians and tortured young men without cause, CNN said in a statement to the New York Post, “We have subsequently been investigating his background and are aware that he may have given a false identity.”

“We are continuing our reporting into this and the wider story,” the outlet added as they also defended against claims the segment had been fabricated.

“No one other than the CNN team was aware of our plans to visit the prison building featured in our report that day. The events transpired as they appear in our film,” stated CNN.

Meanwhile, social media users couldn’t help but call out Ward with examples of past segments on the network where correspondents appeared to be overselling the situation for audiences at home.

Kevin Haggerty
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