Norwegian TV celebrity Kari Jaquesson has started raising money for a trip to conflict-stricken Syria. She has also slammed the Norwegian coverage of the war in Syria and accused Prime Minister Erna Solberg of lying, Norwegian daily Nettavisen reported.
According to Jaquesson, by means of her journey she intends to try and balance what she refers to as "lop-sided" and "biased" news coverage of the Syrian conflict in the Norwegian and Western media.
"What I want to do is differentiate the media picture that is one-sided and tendentious. Had I been a Norwegian editor, I would have been embarrassed about doing such a job," Jaquesson told Nettavisen.
Jaquesson also accused Norwegian media of largely relying on unverified claims from anonymous and dubious sources. She ventured that the news coverage was a little more nuanced at the outbreak of the Syrian war. Since 2014, however, there have been almost no Western journalists there, and the information is being communicated via compromised sources.
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"Both Norwegian and Western media in general convey information from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights led by Rami Abdurrahman, who hasn't been in Syria for 15 years and bases his information on anonymous Syrian sources," Jaquesson stressed.
Jaquesson is a firm believer in that the alleged gas attacks in the Syrian city of Douma were fabricated. She pointed out that the so-called evidence mostly consists of videos manufactured and produced by Syria's numerous terrorist organizations. According to Jaquesson, the alleged gas attack in Douma was simply used as a pretext for a pre-planned US-led missile strike.
Jaquesson also slammed Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who previously voiced her "understanding" of the trilateral airstrike against Syria, which she called a signal that the country had used chemical weapons. Jaquesson accused Solberg of "lying to the Norwegian people" and "treating them without respect" in using "partial sources" such as US intelligence.
"She is Norway's Prime Minister. She shouldn't be running the US's errands in Norway. Norway has no interest in being involved in the war in Syria," Jaquesson said.
Norway's Foreign Ministry regards the situation in Syria as dangerous and advises fellow Norwegians against traveling to the country or staying there, as Norway's diplomatic authorities only offer limited assistance there.
Jaquesson has collected 75 percent of the intended travel budget and will be leaving soon, by her own admission.
This is the second time Jaquesson has traveled to the war-torn country. Her previous journey resulted in numerous blog posts.
"I got very positive feedback on my articles and posts about Syria. But many probably were surprised that someone who they know as 'fitness lady' actually has something to say about this. This is understandable. I'm simply a person who believes that a world without war is possible, and I want to contribute to it. My contribution is to show the part of reality that our media keep away from the public," Jaquesson said.
Kari Angelique Jaquesson is a Norwegian aerobics instructor, journalist, TV anchor and the author of numerous books on exercise and diet. She is credited with having started the first education system for aerobics instructors in Norway and is considered one of the country's most sought-after coaches. In 2000, Jaquesson was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the UN and works both nationally and internationally to raise awareness about women's health.
