THE BRITISH government funded propaganda against the Syrian government from the start of the country’s civil war, according to leaked documents.

Papers revealed by the Middle East Eye (MEE) show that the initiative began in 2012 and gained pace the following year after the British Parliament voted against  military action. 

The British government created a network of “citizen journalists” throughout Syria and other countries in the Middle East, often without them knowing that they were being directed from London.

Many Syrian citizens had turned to media activism at the start of the war, but the documents show how Britain tried to guide their output in order to influence Syrian audiences covertly. 

Funding from the British, US and Canadian governments allowed British contractors to set up shop in Istanbul and Amman.

The companies bid for contracts to deliver the “selection, training, support and mentoring of Syrian opposition media activists.” 

The contracts were subject to non-disclosure agreements so that the government’s role could be hidden since this might undermine the credibility of the “citizen journalism” and put those engaging in it at risk.

The “journalists” recruited were told their equipment and stipends of between $250 and $500 (£195-£390) a month came from opposition groups.

Others were paid for individual photos or video clips, such as footage of rebel soldiers handing out food which could then be relayed to major broadcasters such as Sky News, the BBC or al-Jazeera as authentic Syrian-produced content.

The documents also show that the British government paid for media training for opposition activists, press offices and social-media accounts.

MEE says that Western journalists were introduced to Syrians in Istanbul who were described as “opposition spokespeople,” but had been trained by British “handlers” on what to say.

The aim was to “bolster the values and reputation of the Syrian opposition” and to “undermine the Assad regime’s core narrative and legitimacy.”

It also aimed at countering “VE” (violent extremist) propaganda from jihadist groups.

But while it condemned Isis specifically, it avoided naming the al-Qaida affiliate al-Nusra, allegedly because of its “popularity” in Syria.