"Western media outlets recall battlefield barbarism every time Western servicemen or Western allies go on the defensive. Otherwise, war is merely 'humanitarian bombing' and the media send engaging photos depicting how successful our heroes are in spreading democracy while they destroy Belgrade, Baghdad or Tripoli," he said.
The phrase "humanitarian bombing" has been used to describe military interventions that have ostensibly been aimed at protecting human rights. It was first used to refer to the 1999 NATO operation in Yugoslavia.
Krejčí further mentioned the ongoing Saudi-led campaign in Yemen, saying that mainstream media outlets in the West have largely ignored it. Contrary to the situation with Aleppo, "there are no emotional speeches and moralizing from Western statesmen," he observed.
Tuesday's press briefing at the US State Department serves as a fine illustration of the point Krejčí made. Spokesperson John Kirby struggled to explain why Washington was supporting Riyadh's offensive in Yemen, particularly after an airstrike that killed at least 140 people at a funeral hall, and condemned Damascus' operation in Aleppo.
