Oh, CNN, you’ve done it again. Another day, another embarrassing faceplant in the realm of hard-hitting journalism—or, in this case, a theatrical misstep worthy of a soap opera. The network, already plagued by a credibility crisis, is now grappling with revelations that their so-called “heroic prisoner rescue” story wasn’t quite the heartwarming tale they sold to millions of viewers. Instead, it turns out the man featured in their viral segment might have been less a victim and more a villain—a torturer for the Assad regime, no less. You can’t make this stuff up.
Here’s the breakdown: CNN’s Clarissa Ward, who seems to enjoy painting herself as the intrepid war reporter braving the horrors of conflict zones, went viral for her “extraordinary” report. The scene? Ward freeing a disheveled man allegedly left to rot in a secret Assad regime prison. He claimed to be a civilian named Adel Ghurbal, imprisoned for months without food or water, clinging to life.
The emotional moment tugged at heartstrings worldwide. But hold on—Verify-SY, a local Syrian fact-checking organization, soon rained on CNN’s parade, identifying the man as Salama Mohammad Salama, also known as Abu Hamza. Far from being a helpless civilian, he’s a former Assad operative with a dark history of torture, extortion, and murder.
Oops.
You CANNOT make this up. Not only was CNN’s Chief War Propagandist Clarissa Ward caught red-handed faking (AGAIN) the rescue of a fake prisoner in a fake prison in Syria, it turns out the man she “helped” was a top-level torturer for Assad.
This is the same network that called… pic.twitter.com/4Ri3KueumD
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) December 16, 2024
Now, CNN is doing what CNN does best—backpedaling. The network has pinned disclaimers to its social media posts and added a sheepish note to the original YouTube video, claiming they’re still “investigating” the man’s identity. But let’s be honest—this isn’t just a minor oopsie. It’s a glaring example of what happens when a media outlet prioritizes sensationalism over substance. Did CNN not have the resources or the inclination to properly vet their source before rolling the cameras? Or were they so desperate for a click-worthy headline that they took his story at face value?
The more you dig, the worse it gets. Verify-SY uncovered that Salama, aka Abu Hamza, was notorious in Homs for running security checkpoints and terrorizing locals. His rap sheet includes everything from torture to extortion, not to mention a stint in jail over a spat with another regime officer. The guy is no freedom fighter; he’s a war criminal. Yet CNN offered him a platform to play the victim, complete with dramatic camera angles and a sympathetic voiceover.
And let’s not forget the glaring red flags CNN ignored. For someone allegedly starved for days and locked in a “windowless cell” for months, Salama looked remarkably well-fed and clean-shaven. You’d think a network with CNN’s resources might pause and ask a few questions, but apparently, the allure of an “exclusive” outweighed the need for basic due diligence.
Check out X’s community notes:
“Syria is free.”
Extraordinary moment as @clarissaward and her team witness a Syrian prisoner freed from a secret prison in Damascus.
Left alone for days without food, water or light, the man was unaware Bashar al-Assad’s regime had fallen. pic.twitter.com/ZAnGiBlLON
— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) December 11, 2024
This debacle raises serious questions. Did CNN knowingly whitewash Abu Hamza’s image to create a more compelling story? Or were they simply duped? Either way, it’s a damning indictment of modern journalism’s fixation on storytelling over truth.
It’s also a reminder to viewers to take everything the legacy media serves up with a massive grain of salt. The truth often takes a backseat when narratives are crafted to fit a preordained script. In this case, CNN’s eagerness to showcase themselves as saviors of the downtrodden has backfired spectacularly, leaving their credibility in even shakier territory than before.
Let’s hope they enjoy that 1.3 million views on YouTube because they’ve certainly earned them—for all the wrong reasons.
