FACT CHECK Reuters’ Chinese whispers further muddy the truth of the Raqqa ISIS deal

Updated November 17

BBC reporter Quentin Sommerville’s Sunday, November 12 report on the deal to allow some ISIS fighters to leave Raqqa – entitled “Raqqa’s Dirty Secret” – has generated significant debate online since publication.

The BBC has uncovered details of a secret deal that let thousands of IS fighters and family members escape from Raqqa https://t.co/ASZfuHXeMN with @Dalatrm pic.twitter.com/HczRXrsE9Z — Quentin Sommerville (@sommervilletv) November 13, 2017

On Thursday, Reuters published a story headlined “French military says coalition opposed IS withdrawal from Raqqa” that supports statements made by Coalition spokesperson Colonel Ryan Dillon. The story was published at 13:33:52 GMT.

Within that story, Reuters made claims about the number of fighters who had left Raqqa on October 12 in a convoy.

“A report by BBC television on Sunday said some 4,000 Islamic State militants, including hundreds of foreign nationals, had been evacuated from Raqqa as part of the agreement and spread across Syria and as far as Turkey.” Reuters: French military says coalition opposed IS withdrawal from Raqqa

In case of later updates, the original Reuters story is archived here.

The BBC report said:

“Some 250 IS fighters were allowed to leave Raqqa, with 3,500 of their family members.” BBC: Raqqa’s Dirty Secret

Again, in case of later updates, the original BBC story is archived here.

The discrepancy between what the BBC report claimed – 250 fighters plus 3,500 family members – and the Reuters report – 4,000 Islamic State militants – is stark, and highlights a significant problem in reporting events in Syria: Chinese whispers change facts to fiction, errors compound creating new narratives.

Sommerville subsequently doubled down on the numbers with comment from the Coalition.

Coalition confirms BBC exclusive: 3500 IS family members left Raqqa and 250 fighters in ceasefire. Convoy stretched for 8km. Deal agreed by "local partners", coalition says it didn't want anyone to leave. Western officer was present at negotiations but didn't take "active part". — Quentin Sommerville (@sommervilletv) November 13, 2017

Reuters clearly got it wrong. The BBC never reported that 4,000 ISIS fighters left Raqqa, nor that hundreds were foreign fighters.

It's buried a bit down this (excellent) @BBCNews investigation – though this sentence is key: "Some 250 IS fighters were allowed to leave Raqqa, with 3,500 of their family members. " More than 90% of those who escaped Raqqa as part of a local deal with ISIS were civilians. https://t.co/brvlEu4AW2 — Airwars (@airwars) November 13, 2017

Update November 17

Reuters updated the story, saying “This version of the story corrects paragraph three to clarify people, not fighters evacuated.”

However, Reuters is a news agency, and the incorrect story was republished at leat 50 times.

Fog of war

The Reuter report only adds to questions surrounding the BBC reporting, the “exclusive” nature of the report, and what actually happened. The report added significantly to the story, adding detail like the route to convoy took to Deir Ezzor province with interviews of people along that route, plus interviews with people who drove vehicles in the convoy, but it presents the underlying background information as entirely new

The Defense Post attempted to cover the two separate deals brokered by Raqqa Arab tribal leaders which became conflated in reporting: One allowed local Syrian ISIS fighters to surrender to the SDF (they were detained and brought to Tabqa), while the other was the deal to allow others to evacuate to Deir Ezzor.

At the time, the story was unclear. A significant portion of the BBC’s “new” information is simply clarification of what was known at the time.

Extracts from our reporting are below, but there are some significant points to note:

On October 12, The Defense Post was first to publish the Coalition confirmation that a Coalition leader attended meetings about the deals but did not actively participate in discussions.

On October 14, an SDF military source told AFP that vehicles were waiting near the city and would take fighters who surrendered to Deir Ezzor province.

On October 15, the (now disappeared) SDF spokesperson Talal Silo told AFP: “More than 3,000 civilians left on Saturday night as part of a deal and went to areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces.”

Also on October 15, Raqqa Civil Council member Omar Alloush said some foreign fighters had left Raqqa alongside Syrian ISIS militants.

October 12

On Thursday, October 12, The Defense Post published a story entitled Coalition confirms meeting on ISIS withdrawal from Raqqa but says it did not participate

A spokesperson for the U.S.-led Coalition told The Defense Post that a Coalition leader attended a Wednesday [October 11] meeting regarding an orderly Islamic State withdrawal from Raqqa, but did not participate in the discussion. The meeting reportedly occurred in Ayn Issa, the interim base for Raqqa Civil Council. “The Coalition is aware of the meeting between the Raqqah Civil Council and local Syrian Arab tribal elders,” the spokesperson said in a Thursday, October 12 email to The Defense Post. “A Coalition leader attended but did not actively participate in discussions.” “The Coalition opposes any arrangement that allows ISIS terrorists to depart Raqqah,” the spokesperson told The Defense Post.

October 14

On Saturday, October 14, The Defense Post published a story entitled Council, tribes reach deal to evacuate civilians from ISIS-held Raqqa

Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal elders have brokered a deal to evacuate civilians from the city, the U.S.-led Coalition confirmed in a Saturday, October 14 press release. A convoy of vehicles will leave Raqqa later on Saturday, in an arrangement designed to minimise civilian casualties as Syrian Democratic Forces close in on the remaining parts of the city still held by Islamic State, the release said. The release said the deal brokered on Thursday “purportedly excludes foreign Daesh terrorists” and that people leaving the city will be screened by the SDF, but it did not specify if local ISIS fighters are included in the arrangement. “The Coalition was not involved in the discussions that led to the arrangement, but believes it will save innocent lives,” the release said, adding that it will mean a reduced risk of civilian casualties. … Earlier, Coalition spokesperson Colonel Ryan Dillon told Reuters that around 100 ISIS fighters had surrendered in the previous 24 hours and were “removed from the city.” A Raqqa official told AFP that Syrian ISIS militants surrendered to the SDF. “They sent a message to the Raqqa Civil Council and to the tribal mediators,” the official said. “Those that surrendered are local, not foreigners – the foreigners have not handed themselves in yet,” he said. Activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently tweeted that dozens of buses entered Raqqa overnight. … An SDF military source told AFP that vehicles were waiting near the city and would take fighters who surrendered to Deir Ezzor province.

October 14

Later on October 14, The Defense Post published a story entitled ISIS fighters to evacuate Raqqa or surrender to SDF after deal with tribal elders

In a statement published late on Saturday, October 14, tribal leaders from Raqqa said that after an appeal to the SDF, an agreement was reached to allow local ISIS fighters to leave Raqqa and the tribes would “ensure their exit into areas outside the city.” … The elders said they were arranging a “mechanism” for them to leave, and they would protect those taken as human shields, reiterating that they “will ensure the lives of those who will be removed.” … However, Raqqa Civil Council member Omar Alloush told Reuters foreign fighters would be evacuated, and that it would take place overnight. He told AFP that they may be taken to Deir Ezzor province. Alloush said up to 500 ISIS fighters remained in Raqqa. “They have 400 hostages with them – women and children – in the national hospital,” he said. … A Raqqa official told AFP that Syrian ISIS militants surrendered to the SDF. “Those that surrendered are local, not foreigners – the foreigners have not handed themselves in yet,” he said.

October 15

On Sunday, October 15, The Defense Post published a story entitled SDF launches final assault on Raqqa after some ISIS fighters evacuated.

The story summarised and collated information from that day.