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Press TV has interviewed George Jabour, a political commentator, from Damascus, to discuss a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which says Syria is the "most dangerous place" for journalists.

Press TV: First of all, I’d like to get your reaction to this report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which says Syria is the "most dangerous place" for journalists.

Jabour: Sadly so, Syrian is of course one of the worst places for journalists nowadays because of the terrorist actions of the armed groups.

As a matter of fact, we witnessed here in Syria the loss of Maya Naser of Press TV. We witnessed recently, a few days ago, the premeditated attack on three journalists of al-Manar station in Lebanon who came to cover events in Ma’loula.

I suppose that the last action, the action of the armed groups attacking the al-Manar journalists is premeditated because they were in a car that was written on it that this is a press car. Yet they were attacked. I suppose this is more than a crime. It is doubly condemned because it is premeditated against journalists. What can be done?

Press TV: There are those who say that these attacks on the journalists by the foreign-backed insurgents are deliberately done. Now, why do you think that is so, specifically considering that their backers and funders insist that these militants are fighting for democracy and freedom in Syria?

Jabour: Well, I don’t think that even themselves claim that they are fighting for democracy and freedom in Syria.

I think that everybody now knows that these are criminals and that the atrocities they are committing are committed in order to serve some interests that are strange to the Syrian people. Some of the reports mention that they are related to Israel and Zionist movements, certainly. They are related to some Saudi fundamentalists and some Qatari fundamentalists. There is nobody now who believes that they are working for freedom and democracy.

As a matter of fact, I don’t think they are claiming anymore that they are doing that. They know that they are criminals. They know that they are committing atrocities in order to weaken the Syrian resolve.