Rania Khalek is a Middle East-based journalist for Breakthrough News. She hosts the shows, " Dispatches," " The Rania Khalek Show" and " Unauthorized Disclosure" and her work has appeared in many outlets, including The Grayzone, The Intercept, Truthout, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Al Jazeera, The Nation, Salon, AlterNet and Vice.
Known for her outspoken and uncompromising commentary on U.S. foreign policy and the Israel-Palestine conflict, Khalek was born to Lebanese immigrant parents and grew up in a liberal household that did not support the war or the Republican Party. She only became politicized during the 2008 U.S. presidential election when she stumbled upon Democracy Now!, a left-leaning news outlet that exposed her to critical perspectives on American foreign policy. Khalek's newfound interest in politics led her to discover the work of renowned leftist thinkers like Noam Chomsky, Chris Hedges, and Naomi Klein.
Today's interview covers various topics, including Syria, China, and Ukraine. Khalek spoke about how the U.S. government and mainstream media outlets use propaganda to create a false narrative about foreign countries, and how she aims to challenge these portrayals by reporting on the ground and speaking with people directly impacted by Washington's actions.
When discussing the situation in Syria, Khalek criticized successive administrations' efforts to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, arguing that the U.S. role in the conflict had only made things worse. She pointed out that Washington had funneled arms and money to anti-government rebels, many affiliated with extremist groups like Al-Qaeda. She also called out the mainstream media for its biased coverage of the conflict, which she said had overlooked the suffering of ordinary Syrians in favor of a simplistic "good versus evil" narrative.
On the topic of China, Khalek expressed concern about the U.S. public's hostile stance towards the country, which she claimed was fueled by anti-China propaganda. She pointed out that the U.S. government and media often demonized China for its human rights record, while ignoring similar abuses committed by allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel. She also criticized our aggressive military posture towards China, arguing that the U.S. should focus on diplomacy and dialogue rather than confrontation.
Finally, she discussed the situation in Ukraine, where she noted that the U.S. had played a major role in fomenting the conflict. She pointed out that the Obama administration had supported the 2014 coup that ousted the democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, and had since provided military aid and training to the Ukrainian government in its conflict with Russian-backed separatists. She argued that U.S. actions had only escalated the conflict and that diplomatic efforts could only achieve a peaceful resolution.
Khalek's interview provided a thought-provoking critique of U.S. foreign policy and the mainstream media's role in shaping public opinion. By drawing attention to the voices and experiences of people directly impacted by Western interventions, she challenged the simplistic narratives the government and media put forth and called for a more nuanced and critical approach to foreign policy reporting.
Watch the full interview exclusively at MintPress News.
Lee Camp is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and activist. Camp is the host of Behind The Headlines' new series: The Most Censored News With Lee Camp. He is a former comedy writer for the Onion and the Huffington Post and has been a touring stand-up comic for 20 years.