Mint Press News incorrectly used my byline for an article it published on August 29, 2013 alleging chemical weapons usage by Syrian rebels. Despite my repeated requests, made directly and through legal counsel, they have not been willing to issue a retraction stating that I was not the author. Yahya Ababneh is the sole reporter and author of the Mint Press News piece. To date, Mint Press News has refused to act professionally or honestly in regards to disclosing the actual authorship and sources for this story.



I did not travel to Syria, have any discussions with Syrian rebels, or do any other reporting on which the article is based. The article is not based on my personal observations and should not be given credence based on my journalistic reputation. Also, it is false and misleading to attribute comments made in the story as if they were my own statements.

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One article that has become a regular feature in the debate on who was responsible for the August 21st sarin attack in Damascus is " Syrians In Ghouta Claim Saudi-Supplied Rebels Behind Chemical Attack ", published on the Mint Press website, with Dale Gavlak and Yahya Ababneh on the byline.Dale Gavlak has now sent me the following statement about the article.Dale Gavlak contacted me using an email address used in previous correspondence, relating to this article More posted on the subject of the August 21st attacks can be found here , and other posts on chemical weapons and Syria, including extremely informative interviews with chemical weapon specialists, can be found here