Summary
CNN admitted it was misled about the identity of a man in a viral report showing his release from a Syrian prison.
The man, who claimed to be Adel Gharbal, was identified by a Syrian fact-checking group as Salama Mohammad Salama, an officer of the Assad regime’s Air Force Intelligence Directorate.
CNN verified his identity through facial recognition and local reports, confirming he had been imprisoned briefly over disputes related to extortion.
The network acknowledged the error while noting the man’s reputation for harassment and misconduct.
There were so many actual worn down and permanently damaged prisoners they could have easily interviewed and they reported the one dude part of the regime trying to slip away.
Really it’s more because CNN showed up days later after all the prisoners had escaped Assad’s hellhole, so it’s possible they really did find this guy by chance trying to hide.
But he looks so fresh and unharmed in front of the camera, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked for a setup and got baited.