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On Syrian-Sponsored Trip, Everyone Stays On Script

STEVE INSKEEP, Host:

Syria is becoming more isolated. Even some of its friends criticize Syria's crackdown on protestors, which means the government is forced to rely more on allies, such as Russia and Iran. NPR's Kelly McEvers recently returned from a government-sponsored tour of Syria, which was mainly for reporters from countries that support the regime. And she sent us this report.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHANTING)

KELLY MCEVERS: Unidentified Man: Believe me, we have no problem. Believe me.

MCEVERS: Group: (Chanting in foreign language)

MCEVERS: That idea was taken a step further by Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Muqdad at a dinner he hosted for our group. He thanked the group for showing the world the real story. He said other media outlets are not to be trusted.

FAISAL MUQDAD: We are not killing innocent people. It is the government who has been targeted by extremist groups, by terrorist groups that are financed and supported by the United States of America and by Western Europe and by the most notorious elements in neighboring countries.

MCEVERS: Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

INSKEEP: This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Kelly McEvers is a two-time Peabody Award-winning journalist and former host of NPR's flagship newsmagazine, All Things Considered. She spent much of her career as an international correspondent, reporting from Asia, the former Soviet Union, and the Middle East. She is the creator and host of the acclaimed Embedded podcast, a documentary show that goes to hard places to make sense of the news. She began her career as a newspaper reporter in Chicago.