Public statement or social media post by Clarissa Ward or CNN

CNN Faces Scrutiny After Salama Mohammad Salama, Assad Regime Intelligence Officer, Freed in Report on Torture and Killings

Dec 17, 2024, 07:37 AM

CNN is facing scrutiny after the network revealed that a Syrian prisoner it reported as being freed was actually a former intelligence officer for the Assad regime. The man, identified as Salama Mohammad Salama, had previously claimed to be a civilian victim of the regime. Reports indicate that he was involved in torture and killings during his service. Following the broadcast, CNN announced it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the report, particularly the identity of the man who may have provided a false identity during the segment. The network's chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, had filmed the dramatic rescue, which has since been criticized as potentially staged. Local sources have corroborated that Salama was, in fact, a first lieutenant in the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, raising questions about the integrity of the report and the authenticity of the rescue footage aired by CNN.