White Helmets

[Aeneas]

More on the founder of the White Helmets:

https://www.sott.net/article/357989-James-Le-Mesurier-The-former-British-mercenary-who-founded-NATOs-fake-humanitarian-White-Helmets

James Le Mesurier: The former British mercenary who founded NATO's fake humanitarian White Helmets

Whitney Webb
Mint Press News
Mon, 31 Jul 2017 00:00 UTC
James Le Mesurier, a British ex-mercenary, founded the White Helmets in 2013. The group has been lauded for its "humanitarian" efforts in Syria, but they have actually functioned more as a logistics and propaganda arm of Syria's al-Qaeda branch, complete with training from Le Mesurier.

Over the past two years, enlightening information has been revealed that thoroughly and unequivocally debunks the "humanitarianism" of the White Helmets in Syria, sometimes referred to as the Syrian Civil Defense.

Since they were founded in 2013, much of Western media has sought to elevate the White Helmets as the "bravest" and most heroic of Syrians. They have been the subject of a Netflix documentary, which won an Oscar, and has consistently been plastered across TV screens in surprisingly well-produced videos showing them removing children from rubble in war-torn areas claimed by Syria's "rebels."

However, missing from this unambiguously positive coverage has been the group's ties to terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, their doctoring of footage, their role in executing civilians and their use of children - both dead and alive - as props for producing pro-intervention propaganda. Also absent is how the White Helmets have received over $123 million from 2013 to 2016 from the U.S. and UK governments, as well as Western NGOs and Gulf state monarchies.

While numerous articles have been devoted to dispelling the propaganda that surrounds the group and detailing their shady ties to known terrorist organizations like Syria's al-Qaeda branch Al-Nusra Front, significantly less attention has been focused on how the group was created, particularly on the man who founded them - James Le Mesurier, a British private security specialist, and former British military intelligence officer.

Le Mesurier's role in founding the White Helmets and propagating its mythology to a Western audience was exposed in 2015 thanks to the work of independent journalist Vanessa Beeley.

Beeley, who spoke to MintPress News at length for this report, notes that it was Le Mesurier's "'realization that humanitarian aid was more effective at maintaining war than an army" that spurred his creation of the organization in order "to maintain public support for another costly war in a country that is, in reality, posing little to no threat to mainland America" or its allies.

James Le Mesurier: from mercenary to "humanitarian"

Though mainstream narratives have suggested that the White Helmets were trained by the Red Cross, the White Helmets were actually founded in March 2013 by Le Mesurier. He, like many officers in the British military, attended the Royal Military Academy, where he graduated at the top of his class, receiving the Queen's Medal.

He later served in the British Army and operated in a variety of theaters. Most notably, Le Mesurier served as intelligence coordinator for Pristina City in Kosovo soon after the NATO intervention that led to NATO being accused of war crimes for its targeting of thousands of civilians and media.

© Sofie Gran/Aspunvik
Having served the governments of the UK, US, UN and Gulf States, James Le Mesurier was able to very quickly garner financial support from fervent supporters of Syrian regime change.
By 2000, Le Mesurier left the army and went to work for the United Nations as he had "realized humanitarian aid was more effective" than an army in theaters of war during his time with the British military. He, again, served in a variety of locations, focusing on "delivering stabilization activities through security sector and democratization programs." According to Le Mesurier, "stabilization activities" refers to the "framework for engagement in 'fragile' states" or, in other words, destabilized nations.

Prior to his founding of the White Helmets, Le Mesurier served as Vice President for Special Projects at the Olive Group, a private mercenary organization that has since merged with Blackwater-Academi into what is now known as Constellis Holdings. Then, in 2008, Le Mesurier left the Olive Group after he was appointed to the position of Principal at Good Harbor Consulting, chaired by Richard A. Clarke - a veteran of the U.S. national security establishment and the counter-terrorism "czar" under the Bush and Clinton administrations.

After joining Good Harbor, Le Mesurier became based in Abu Dhabi, where he specialized in risk management, emergency planning, and critical infrastructure protection. He trained a UAE gas field protection force and "ensured the safety" of the 2010 Gulf Cup in Yemen, a regional soccer tournament. But following this work, Le Mesurier claims to have become dissatisfied, wanting to have a more direct impact on the communities he worked in.

He told Men's Journal in 2014 that it was the idea of using his military training to benefit civilians that truly enthused him: "the idea of being a civilian carrying a weapon and guiding a convoy in a conflict zone - that leaves me cold."

White Helmets founded through Western funding

When it came to time to found the White Helmets in March 2013, Le Mesurier seemed to have simply been in the right place at the right time. According to his own account, he founded the group in Turkey after being "compelled" by Syrians' wartime stories.

Despite founding the White Helmets in Turkey, he raised $300,000 in seed funding provided by the UK, the U.S. and Japan, which Le Mesurier apparently had no trouble scrounging up. The $123 million dollars that was funneled soon after to the organization by the U.S. and UK governments, along with Western NGOs and Qatar, dispels all notion of the organization's alleged "impartiality" and "non-partisan" stance on the Syrian conflict stated on their website.

He then used it to train 25 "vetted" Syrians "to deal with the chaos erupting around them." By September of that year, more than 700 "vetted" individuals were believed to have undergone training under Le Mesurier's supervision.

However, Le Mesurier's ties to British military intelligence, mercenary groups and involvement in "stabilization activities" and "democratization programs" suggest that his convenient appearance in Istanbul, Turkey is perhaps not too coincidental. As Beeley noted in an interview with MintPress: "there are very few coincidences in the multi-spectrum, hybrid war that has been waged against Syria by the U.S. coalition since 2011."

Indeed, the White Helmets were founded when the West was losing on both the propaganda and military front regarding the push for regime change and foreign intervention in Syria. More specifically, as Beeley told MintPress, the group's founding took place just after "the Syrian government had raised concerns about a terrorist chemical weapon attack in Khan Al Asal against the SAA [Syrian Arab Army]."

It should come as no surprise then that, since their founding, the White Helmets have been instrumental in blaming the Syrian government for any and all subsequent chemical weapons attacks in Syria, acting as both witnesses and responders to events that were later proven to be the work of the armed opposition in Syria or staged. As a result, Beeley argued that it's well within reason to speculate that the White Helmets were explicitly founded with this purpose in mind.

However, it is Le Mesurier himself who shed light on why the White Helmets were formed at such a crucial point for the foreign-funded opposition. As Le Mesurier noted in a speech delivered on June 2015, in "fragile" (i.e. destabilized) states, security actors - such as mercenaries or foreign armies - have the lowest level of public trust. However, Le Mesurier states that in contrast, those professions with the highest level of public trust in such situations are firefighters, paramedics, rescue workers and other similar types of first responders.

Le Mesurier discusses the White Helmets in June 2015:



Le Mesurier, however, is not the only figure linked to the British military to take such a perspective. UK Admiral Sir Philip Jones, Chief of Naval Staff, stated last year that "the hard punch of military power is often delivered inside the kid glove of humanitarian relief." It is for this reason that military actions sponsored by the United States and its allies for the past few decades have often been framed as "humanitarian interventions."

Thus, the White Helmets were seen as a chance to reclaim the trust that the Syrian opposition fighters had lost, as news of their affiliation with terrorist groups began to spread.

In reclaiming that trust in Western audiences, the White Helmets have done nothing to ease the burden of war in Syria, but have fomented it by underpinning the very propaganda that has kept the conflict raging on for over six years, as well as undermined the ability of the Syrian and Russian governments to secure diplomatic alternatives to continued fighting.

Indeed, despite their claim of "impartiality," the White Helmets were instrumental in Western attempts to bolster international support for Western intervention and a "no-fly zone" in Syria. However, such intervention will bring much more devastation to Syria, something the White Helmets profess to want to end.


Read Saleh left, the head of the civil defense units in the northern city of Idlib, and Farouk al-Habib, right, a media campaigner for the White Helmets, sit on a panel to draw attention to their work in Syria in midtown New York, September, 2014.
Training the White Helmets

While the White Helmets have successfully been framed as a professionally-trained first responder group active in Syria, there is plenty of evidence suggesting that their training was entirely different. First responders and doctors in other countries have been skeptical about the "aid" the White Helmets have delivered.

For instance, Dr. Leif Elinder, a Swedish pediatrician, told the Indicter that "after examination of the video material [of the White Helmets], I found that the measures inflicted upon those children, some of them lifeless, are bizarre, non-medical, non-lifesaving, and even counterproductive in terms of life-saving purposes of children."

Other medical doctors have stated that other procedures conducted by the White Helmets as seen in the previously mentioned Netflix documentary were performed so poorly they would have killed the children, who were already deceased when the footage was taken.

In addition, first responder groups have also found flaws with the White Helmet's trained rescues. Questions have been raised such as: how did the White Helmets know the bodies would be exactly where they found them?; Why are no attacks heard or seen in White Helmet videos - only the "aftermath"?; and why have the White Helmets chosen to "recycle" footage of the people they are allegedly helping?



Thus, if the White Helmets were not actually trained in first aid - as the above suggests - what did Le Mesurier and his team actually train them to do?

According to Beeley, Le Mesurier trained the White Helmets as a military group, as they have been found "working side by side with the Nusra Front and other extremist groups such as Nour Al Din Zinki in East Aleppo, where their 'humanitarian' centers were invariably alongside Nusra Front or even in the same building."

Noting the White Helmet's lack of paramedic expertise and the numerous photographs showing them carrying weapons, she added that this "confirms that their role has been as military and logistical support for their Nusra Front colleagues."

However, the training received by the White Helmets likely did not stop there.

Beeley strongly believes that they were given extensive training in the production of propaganda - specifically, trained in camerawork and video production in order to produce videos for the media. She noted that "the sheer number of cameras on site at any one of their rescue productions demonstrates that they are well versed in publicity craft."

Furthermore, Beeley suggested that the White Helmet's footage used in their documentary also proves this point:
"The Oscar-winning Netflix documentary that recorded their exploits was based entirely on footage taken by the White Helmets themselves and supplied to the producers of the movie who did not leave Turkey and were therefore unable to verify the authenticity of the footage. The quality of video supplied suggests that the White Helmets were using sophisticated equipment and had been well trained in its use."
Thus, this training has enabled the White Helmets to accomplish two major goals for the governments and organizations that have orchestrated its rise to prominence.

First, as Beeley pointed out, it has facilitated "further proxy military intervention and to incite pseudo-humanitarian outrage from the International community and western public."

Second, it has allowed the atrocities of the extremist factions that work with the White Helmets to be camouflaged by the "humanitarianism" of the group, which has been instrumental in allowing foreign governments to continue arming and funding these extremist, terrorist organizations with complete impunity.

Le Mesurier, for his part, has apparently become tired of the limelight - perhaps as a result of the thorough debunking of the terrorist-linked organization he fostered. Though still listed as an employee of Good Harbor, Le Mesurier has removed himself from the site of MayDay Rescue, a White Helmets-linked organization he founded, and all mention of him has been erased from the White Helmets website.

 

[Glenn]

UK Admiral Sir Philip Jones, Chief of Naval Staff, stated last year that "the hard punch of military power is often delivered inside the kid glove of humanitarian relief."

Spoken like a true psychopath.

 

[Aeneas]

It appears as if the White Helmets have fallen out of grace in some places in Syria, in the below case it is in Idlib. Seven members of the White Helmets were killed with a silencer equipped pistol, which raises questions as to who did it. Could it be by an aggreaved parent to one of the many children that the White Helmets used for their propaganda props or was it because they have past the use by date?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/7-members-of-notorious-white-helmets.html

7 Members of the Notorious "White Helmets" Found Dead in Idleb [Graphic]
August 12th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Al Mayadeen - - translated by Samer Hussein -

Seven members of the notorious NGO known as the “White Helmets” were found dead at their headquarters in the town of Sarmin, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idleb, and which is currently under control of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front).

According to some opposition sources, an unknown armed group attacked the Civil Defense Center in the town of Sarmin on Saturday, killing seven members of the White Helmets and stealing two minibuses and communications equipment, belonging to the White Helmets.

Social network activists have already started to share footage of the incident, showing dead bodies and the white-coloured helmets being covered with blood. The pictures indicate the White Helmets agents were killed by a pistol with a silencer.

The town of Sarmin is completely under control of Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham terrorists ever since the terrorist group Jund Al Aqsa that used to control the town, has gone to shreds, a large part of which then joined the ranks of Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham, while the rest of its members have gone to join ISIS.

The White Helmets organisation is notorious not only for its apparent ties to the western intelligence services, but also for supporting and maintaining ties with the terrorist groups, Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham including.

Already months ago, Vanessa Beeley, a British independent investigative journalist exposed the White Helmets as a group which is far from being a humanitarian one, noting its ties to the western intelligence services, as well as being supportive of the armed terrorist groups operating in Syria.

She provided video and pictorial evidence of how members of the White Helmets collaborate with the terrorists by offering them medical aid and even actively participate in the killings of Syrian civilians and soldiers.

 

[angelburst29]

It appears as if the White Helmets have fallen out of grace in some places in Syria, in the below case it is in Idlib. Seven members of the White Helmets were killed with a silencer equipped pistol, which raises questions as to who did it. Could it be by an aggreaved parent to one of the many children that the White Helmets used for their propaganda props or was it because they have past the use by date?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/7-members-of-notorious-white-helmets.html

7 Members of the Notorious "White Helmets" Found Dead in Idleb [Graphic]
August 12th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Al Mayadeen - - translated by Samer Hussein -

Seven members of the notorious NGO known as the “White Helmets” were found dead at their headquarters in the town of Sarmin, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idleb, and which is currently under control of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front).

According to some opposition sources, an unknown armed group attacked the Civil Defense Center in the town of Sarmin on Saturday, killing seven members of the White Helmets and stealing two minibuses and communications equipment, belonging to the White Helmets.

Social network activists have already started to share footage of the incident, showing dead bodies and the white-coloured helmets being covered with blood. The pictures indicate the White Helmets agents were killed by a pistol with a silencer.

Very interesting, Aeneas. This incident reminds me of some reports posted on FarsNews in the last 4 months or so, of certain high ranking extremists being ambushed and killed by assailant(s) unknown? I wonder, if there is some kind of "hit squad" working undercover? Maybe, a private contractor?

 

[angelburst29]

It appears as if the White Helmets have fallen out of grace in some places in Syria, in the below case it is in Idlib. Seven members of the White Helmets were killed with a silencer equipped pistol, which raises questions as to who did it. Could it be by an aggreaved parent to one of the many children that the White Helmets used for their propaganda props or was it because they have past the use by date?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/7-members-of-notorious-white-helmets.html

7 Members of the Notorious "White Helmets" Found Dead in Idleb [Graphic]
August 12th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Al Mayadeen - - translated by Samer Hussein -

Seven members of the notorious NGO known as the “White Helmets” were found dead at their headquarters in the town of Sarmin, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idleb, and which is currently under control of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front)

Very interesting, Aeneas. This incident reminds me of some reports posted on FarsNews in the last 4 months or so, of certain high ranking extremists being ambushed and killed by assailant(s) unknown? I wonder, if there is some kind of "hit squad" working undercover? Maybe, a private contractor?

Not only in Syria but also in Iraq?

A huge ISIL’s weapon stash in Tal Afar town West of Mosul was burnt, a security source from Nineveh province said.

ISIL’s Biggest Weapon Stash in Tal Afar Set on fire by Unknown Perpetrator Sun Aug 13, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960522001489

“Unknown persons infiltrated into the biggest store of weapons of IS in Tal Afar, killed the guards and set the store on fire,” the source said, Al Sumariya reported.

“This caused a huge blast, which completely burnt the store,” the source, who preferred anonymity, added.

The group, according to the source, has been on high alert, setting up checkpoints and inspecting houses in search for the perpetrators.

On Friday, the group reportedly imposed curfew for unknown reasons and deploying its armed detachments in the town.

The incident comes as Iraqi troops have announced earlier this week that they are concluding arrangements ahead of an imminent invasion on the town.

The Iraqi army’s ninth armored division reportedly reached last week to the boundaries of the town.

An army official was previously quoted as saying that an army division was ordered to leave Mosul toward Tal Afar within preparations to retake the town, which has been set as the next target of operations after victory was declared in Mosul on July 10.

 

[Aeneas]

It appears as if the White Helmets have fallen out of grace in some places in Syria, in the below case it is in Idlib. Seven members of the White Helmets were killed with a silencer equipped pistol, which raises questions as to who did it. Could it be by an aggreaved parent to one of the many children that the White Helmets used for their propaganda props or was it because they have past the use by date?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/7-members-of-notorious-white-helmets.html

7 Members of the Notorious "White Helmets" Found Dead in Idleb [Graphic]
August 12th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Al Mayadeen - - translated by Samer Hussein -

Seven members of the notorious NGO known as the “White Helmets” were found dead at their headquarters in the town of Sarmin, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idleb, and which is currently under control of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front)

Very interesting, Aeneas. This incident reminds me of some reports posted on FarsNews in the last 4 months or so, of certain high ranking extremists being ambushed and killed by assailant(s) unknown? I wonder, if there is some kind of "hit squad" working undercover? Maybe, a private contractor?

Not only in Syria but also in Iraq?

A huge ISIL’s weapon stash in Tal Afar town West of Mosul was burnt, a security source from Nineveh province said.

ISIL’s Biggest Weapon Stash in Tal Afar Set on fire by Unknown Perpetrator Sun Aug 13, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960522001489

“Unknown persons infiltrated into the biggest store of weapons of IS in Tal Afar, killed the guards and set the store on fire,” the source said, Al Sumariya reported.

“This caused a huge blast, which completely burnt the store,” the source, who preferred anonymity, added.

The group, according to the source, has been on high alert, setting up checkpoints and inspecting houses in search for the perpetrators.

On Friday, the group reportedly imposed curfew for unknown reasons and deploying its armed detachments in the town.

The incident comes as Iraqi troops have announced earlier this week that they are concluding arrangements ahead of an imminent invasion on the town.

The Iraqi army’s ninth armored division reportedly reached last week to the boundaries of the town.

An army official was previously quoted as saying that an army division was ordered to leave Mosul toward Tal Afar within preparations to retake the town, which has been set as the next target of operations after victory was declared in Mosul on July 10.

Yes, it is interesting and it reminds me of the Ukraine conflict, where we also at one stage were told of a third force, who were acting there. I think at the time, there some speculation that the third force in that conflict might have been connected to Israel. I am not suggesting that it is the same force, but it is interesting.

This brings me to this article about the 7 White Helmets guys who got killed as the US State Department is mourning their deaths.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/washington-expresses-condolences-syrian-crypto-terrorists/

Washington expresses condolences for Syrian crypto-terrorists
By Andrew Illingworth - 14/08/20170


BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:10 P.M.) – Washington has officially expressed its sympathies to the families of seven recently deceased men who belonged to a terrorist-affiliated organization that disguises itself as a Syrian emergency service.

Yesterday, US Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert released a statement offering condolences to the families of seven White Helmets members who had been murdered by unknown assassins in the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib.

The White Helmets has repeatedly been exposed for its cooperation alongside jihadist and Islamist armed factions in Syria and for its staged propaganda aimed at demonizing the Damascus government.

Furthermore, there is photo evidence showing White Helmet “rescue workers” to be part-time fighters alongside Al-Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups – namely Jabhat al-Nusra (now Ha’yat Tahrir al-Sham) and Ahrar al-Sham respectively.

The White Helmets claims to be a nationwide civil rescue service despite the fact that it does not operate in any of the government-held, Kurdish-held or ISIS-held regions of Syria (the combined territory of which represents about 80 percent of the country).

The US is no longer hiding who they are supporting. Will they also offer a State pension to the widows for services done by the deceased for the empire, not to mention some glitchy medals such as Iron Cross 2.0?

 

[angelburst29]

Yes, it is interesting and it reminds me of the Ukraine conflict, where we also at one stage were told of a third force, who were acting there. I think at the time, there some speculation that the third force in that conflict might have been connected to Israel. I am not suggesting that it is the same force, but it is interesting.

This brings me to this article about the 7 White Helmets guys who got killed as the US State Department is mourning their deaths.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/washington-expresses-condolences-syrian-crypto-terrorists/

Washington expresses condolences for Syrian crypto-terrorists
By Andrew Illingworth - 14/08/20170

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:10 P.M.) – Washington has officially expressed its sympathies to the families of seven recently deceased men who belonged to a terrorist-affiliated organization that disguises itself as a Syrian emergency service.

Yesterday, US Department of State spokeswoman Heather Nauert released a statement offering condolences to the families of seven White Helmets members who had been murdered by unknown assassins in the rebel-held Syrian province of Idlib.

The US is no longer hiding who they are supporting. Will they also offer a State pension to the widows for services done by the deceased for the empire, not to mention some glitchy medals such as Iron Cross 2.0?

Yahoo has it plastered all over the net - competing with the Charlottesville, Va. headlines? I have no doubts, that George Clooney is frantically revising his movie script to glorify "the Magnificent Seven"? Then, to have the U.S. State Dept. bow down to the Pentagon and add to the "hero" propaganda - just confuses and masks the truth. In reality, these individuals were probably savage butchers?

Interesting, the observation of "a third force" in Ukraine. I was unaware of that information? I'll have to pay closer attention to events?


US 'horrified' by killing of Syrian rescuers
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-horrified-killing-syrian-rescuers-194420549.html

The United States expressed sadness and horror Sunday over the killing of seven members of Syria's White Helmets rescue service in a jihadist-held town near Idlib.

The seven were killed Saturday by unidentified assailants in a raid on their base in Sarmin, nine kilometers (5.6 miles) east of the city of Idlib.

The town is controlled by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist alliance, which denounced what it called an "ugly crime."

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert extended condolences to the families of the victims.

"We are saddened and horrified to hear about the brutal murders of seven Syrian Civil Defense Members, more widely known as the White Helmets," she said.

"These cowardly acts of masked men took the lives of civilian volunteers who work tirelessly as first responders in order to save lives in incredibly dangerous environments," she said.

The White Helmets emerged in 2013, working to rescue civilians in rebel-held areas.

They have since gained international renown for their daring rescues, often filmed and circulated on social media, and were nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.

 

[angelburst29]

Pierre Le Corf, a 28-year-old French national who has been living in Aleppo since February 2016 and who has set up an association aimed at "helping the Syrian people to rebuild themselves," talked with Sputnik France about why organizations such as the White Helmets cause more harm than good to Syria.

Why the White Helmets in Syria 'Cause More Harm Than Good'
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201708181056582002-syria-aleppo-white-helmets/

When Pierre Le Corf arrived in Aleppo, the city which suffered catastrophic damage during the occupation by jihadists, he set up the association "We Are Superheroes", aimed at helping Syrian people to survive during the long war.

"There were times when terrorists were only 500 meters away from my home and I heard them shouting 'Allahu Akbar!' before shooting from a mortar-gun. Now they are already three kilometers away. They are already not in the city center but at the entrance to the city. We are still being shot at every day. And we are still under partial siege," he told Sputnik France.

Since Pierre Le Corf came to the city, he noticed that very few mass media sources reported on the actual state of affairs in Eastern Aleppo. There were about 30 armed groups there, only jihadist and all of which called themselves al-Nusra. Before his arrival, he said, there were the so-called "moderate opposition." But by the time Russia started its aerial campaign in September 2015, he said, there were only jihadists in the city.

He told Sputnik that all the NGO associations that have been reporting from Syria are located on the territories which are under control of terrorists. And only two international organizations, "We Are Superheroes" and SOS Chrétiens d’Orient (Christians of the Orient) operate in the areas under the control of the Syrian government.

"Associations such as The Syria Civil Defense volunteer organization, also known as "White Helmets" have been either pursuing Salafi views from the very beginning of the conflict or have belonged to more or less radical movements," he told Sputnik.

"They are bringing more harm than good to Syria. They receive a lot of financing, but their true purpose is to continue dragging Syria into the war as it legitimizes their existence. They are the minority who keep the majority hostage," the activist said.

Le Corf then commented on the liberation of Eastern Aleppo.

"Anyone will tell you, if not for the Russians and Russian jets, Aleppo would have been defeated. My backpack was always ready and at hand. We slept fully dressed and did not know what would happen next. There were airstrikes and many people died. But I see the people of Aleppo every day and they are convinced that they have been saved," he said.

Of course there are many people who are convinced that the government does not do everything well, they want reforms, he further said. But the majority of the country supports President Assad.

"When I was distributing gifts at Christmas after the liberation of Eastern Aleppo, I was very surprised that people were talking about President Assad as their savior. If the people did not support him, he would have been toppled long ago. People have been fighting for their own country," Pierre Le Corf said.

At the end of his interview he said that Syrians don't like the French. They harbor a grudge against those countries which destroyed what they had. France unfortunately is one of those countries which supports the sanctions which strangle the Syrian people.

"Sanctions are more powerful weapon than bombs. They force people to leave their country not because of war, bombing or because they are not satisfied with the government they have, but because they have no future. They have no imports, the country is closed and the majority of enterprises have been moved outside, to countries such as Turkey," Le Corf concluded.

 

[angelburst29]

It appears as if the White Helmets have fallen out of grace in some places in Syria, in the below case it is in Idlib. Seven members of the White Helmets were killed with a silencer equipped pistol, which raises questions as to who did it. Could it be by an aggreaved parent to one of the many children that the White Helmets used for their propaganda props or was it because they have past the use by date?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/08/7-members-of-notorious-white-helmets.html

7 Members of the Notorious "White Helmets" Found Dead in Idleb [Graphic]
August 12th, 2017 - Fort Russ News -
- Al Mayadeen - - translated by Samer Hussein -

Seven members of the notorious NGO known as the “White Helmets” were found dead at their headquarters in the town of Sarmin, located east of the northwestern Syrian city of Idleb, and which is currently under control of the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir Al Sham (ex-Al Nusra Front).

According to some opposition sources, an unknown armed group attacked the Civil Defense Center in the town of Sarmin on Saturday, killing seven members of the White Helmets and stealing two minibuses and communications equipment, belonging to the White Helmets.

Social network activists have already started to share footage of the incident, showing dead bodies and the white-coloured helmets being covered with blood. The pictures indicate the White Helmets agents were killed by a pistol with a silencer.

Very interesting, Aeneas. This incident reminds me of some reports posted on FarsNews in the last 4 months or so, of certain high ranking extremists being ambushed and killed by assailant(s) unknown? I wonder, if there is some kind of "hit squad" working undercover? Maybe, a private contractor?

Another report of "unknown assailants":

Unknown assailants have increased assassination operations against the leaders of terrorist groups in Idlib, with the latest case being a field commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

More Terrorist Commanders Assassinated in Idlib
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960607001679

According to the Arabic-language al-Watan newspaper, unknown assailants fired at an FSA-affiliated Jeish al-Izza terrorist group's field commander named Abdo Shokat and his assistant Yahya al-Kharboutli near the road leading to the village of Moqa near Khan Sheikhoun city in Southern Idlib.

Jeish al-Izza issued a statement, accusing the Syrian army and its allies of the assassination attempt, noting that Jeish al-Izza is not pursuing a hostile approach against other groups in Northern Syria.

But the sources affiliated to the terrorists in Idlib said that Jeish al-Izza has accused the Syrian army because it is afraid of al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) - which is the main culprit behind such assassinations - and its annihilation by al-Nusra.

Recent reports said that the terrorist groups have intensified assassination operations in Idlib after Doha and Riyadh displayed their differences and darkened relations.

After differences between Saudi Arabia and Qatar surfaced, Abdullah Muhammad al-Muhaysini, the commander and Mufti (religious leader) of Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at (the Levant Liberation Board), called on other terrorist groups to merge with al-Nusra Front under this pretext that Riyadh wants to withdraw support for the militants and will surrender all of them to the US at the end.

He also asked Yasser Abdolrahim, one of the FSA commanders, to join al-Nusra but he didn’t comply with the demand.

Abdolrahim escaped an assassination attempt after rejecting al-Muhaysini's proposal and threatened him of revenge.

Field sources also underlined that the terrorist groups in Idlib are facing a deplorable situation as assassinations have increased, adding that al-Nusra is using the darkened ties between Doha and Riyadh and wants to persuade other terrorist groups, including the FSA, to merge with al-Nusra by annihilation of opposition groups.

According to reports, Muhaysini has himself escaped death in two attempted assassinations in recent months, as the assassination operations against terrorist commanders has intensified in Idlib.

 

[angelburst29]

Syrian humanitarian organization White Helmets has been suspected of being linked to Nusra Front terrorist group.

Media Watchdog Demands Cancelation of Conference on White Helmets' Activities
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201711261059451835-white-helmets-no-conference-demand/

The conference is set to take place in the Swiss Press Club on November 28 amid the beginning of the eighth round of intra-Syrian talks. UK independent journalist Vanessa Beeley, who has carried out her own investigation into the White Helmets ’ activities, was invited to participate in the conference alongside French journalist Richard Labeviere, expert in the Middle East and international terrorism, and Marcello Ferrada de Noli, chair of Swedish Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR) non-governmental organization.

After the date of the event has been announced, Swiss club’s Director Guy Mettan received a letter from Gerard Tschopp and Christiane Dubois, the president and the director of RSF Switzerland, both members of the Swiss Press Club. The officials have asked Mettan to cancel the conference, saying that it "damages the image of the Swiss Press Club," while the participants of the meeting "serve Russian propaganda." Tschopp and Dubois claimed that they did not want their organization’s name to be associated with the meeting, and threatened to withdraw their Swiss Press Club membership, if the conference is not canceled.

"I am amazed. I have never seen that an organization in charge of protection of the freedom of press requires from me censorship in relation to a press conference. Usually, pressure aimed at prohibiting a press conference comes from a country with tough dictatorship. It is the first time that such a request has been voiced by the organization, protecting the rights of journalists, from a democratic country," Mettan told Sputnik, adding that he did not plan to cancel the conference, and noted that he had received many messages in support of the event.

There were, however, negative opinions about the conference. Particularly, former US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford wrote on Twitter on November 21, that some people were likely to participate in the event just to get free drinks at its conclusion. Also, the Syria Campaign movement tweeted on the same day, that by holding the conference, the Swiss Press Club was helping to promote individuals working to muddy the truth on Syria.

In a comment to Sputnik, Beeley did not rule out that the event would be attended by the representatives of terrorist organizations, located in Europe. The journalist also recalled that her previous speeches on the White Helmets in the United Kingdom had been perceived with aggression. Beeley said she was not paying any attention to such threats, as she was comparing the situation with the sufferings of the Syrians.

According to Mettan, the conference would take place, however the Swiss Press Club would have to step up security at the upcoming event.

White Helmets is a Syrian humanitarian organization that claims to have saved tens of thousands of lives, with its activists often being depicted saving people from under debris and providing first aid to civilians. However, the White Helmets ' videos has repeatedly been suspected of being fake and staged.

In particular, the Swedish Doctors for Human Rights (SWEDHR) NGO issued a report, stating that the "lifesaving" procedures shown in the videos published by the White Helmets are incorrect, fake and "ultimately performed on dead children."

According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the activities of the White Helmets are a part of a defamation campaign targeting Syrian authorities, while the media was using the organization's materials without first verifying the content.

 

[angelburst29]

I'm beginning to notice, some photos of the White Helmets are minus - the white helmets and their articles are promoting them as Syria's civil defense force. Also, the UK based New Arab site seems to have been set up as a propaganda site.

White Helmets appeal to international community for action, as hundreds killed in East Ghouta 15 January, 2018
_https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2018/1/15/white-helmets-appeal-as-hundreds-killed-in-east-ghouta

The Syrian White Helmets have called on the international community to intervene to save the residents of East Ghouta from continued attacks from regime forces, and to pressure Damascus to allow the entry of medicine and food into the area.

"The Syrian regime is continuing its attack on East Ghouta, breaching all conventions that allow for the protection of civilians in military conflict," read a statement from Syria's civil defense force.

The group - which provides life-saving rescue services in opposition areas - urged civil and legal institutions, both national and worldwide, to respond to the crisis.

The White Helmets stressed that its teams would remain ready to provide assistance to civilians, despite continual regime bombardment.

The appeal comes as the Syrian Human Rights Network documented the deaths of 329 civilians, including 79 children, during the last two months of regime bombardment on the besieged city of East Ghouta.

The report said that the agreement reached by both sides in May 2017 to de-escalate the fighting has failed to halt "massacres" carried out by Syrian regime and Russian forces.

At least 84 attacks have been carried out on civilian infrastructure, including twelve hospitals since 22 July 2017 - the date of the agreement between rebel group Jaish al-Islam and Russian forces.

Eastern Ghouta has seen the entry of only four aid convoys since July, although the agreement clearly stipulated the need to end the imposed siege, allowing access to relief and evacuation of the wounded.

According to the report, there are around 630 critically ill civilians in Ghouta in desperate need of medical attention.

At least six civilians, including a woman and child, have died of starvation as a result of the siege imposed on the area.

Intense Syrian regime bombardment on rebel-held Eastern Ghouta region has killed eight civilians and wounded 25.

Civilians killed in relentless regime bombing of besieged Damascus suburb Back dated 20 November, 2017
_https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/11/19/civilians-killed-in-regime-bombing-of-besieged-damascus-suburb?utm_campaign=magnet&utm_source=article_page&utm_medium=related_articles

Six days of heavy bombing have killed dozens in the region, where rebel groups and regime forces are locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat attacks.

Government forces have escalated their bombardment of Eastern Ghouta, an opposition stronghold outside Damascus, since hardline rebel group Ahrar al-Sham attacked a military base in the area last week.

Since Tuesday, heavy artillery fire and air strikes on Eastern Ghouta have killed at least 66 civilians including 13 children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as well as three rescue workers from the Syrian Civil Defence - better known as the White Helmets.

At least 281 people have been wounded, the Britain-based monitor said on Sunday.

 

[angelburst29]

Assad regime attacks E.Ghouta with chlorine gas, reports Monday January 22, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180122-assad-regime-attacks-e-ghouta-with-chlorine-gas-reports/

The Assad regime attacked a besieged Damascus residential suburb with chlorine gas on Monday, according to the pro-opposition Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets).

At least 21 civilians, including children, were injured in the attack, which hit the city of Duma in the Eastern Ghouta region, according to civil defense.

The injured were taken to a health center in the region.

Meanwhile, regime artillery and airstrikes targeted Eastern Ghouta’s cities of Harasta and Duma as well as the towns of Arbin and Marj, according to Anadolu Agency correspondents in the region.

One civilian was killed in an airstrike in Arbin, while civil defense teams rushed to the attacked areas to rescue victims stuck under debris.

Home to some 400,000 civilian residents, Eastern Ghouta has been under siege for five years, and humanitarian access to the city has been completely cut off. Hundreds are in urgent need of medical attention.

In the past eight months, the Bashar al-Assad regime has intensified its siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it almost impossible to bring food or medicine into the district and leaving hundreds of medical patients in need of treatment.

Notably, the district falls within a network of de-escalation zones — endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran — in which acts of aggression are expressly forbidden.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a destructive civil war that began in early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

 

[Voyageur]

Assad regime attacks E.Ghouta with chlorine gas, reports Monday January 22, 2018
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180122-assad-regime-attacks-e-ghouta-with-chlorine-gas-reports/

The Assad regime attacked a besieged Damascus residential suburb with chlorine gas on Monday, according to the pro-opposition Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets).

At least 21 civilians, including children, were injured in the attack, which hit the city of Duma in the Eastern Ghouta region, according to civil defense.

The injured were taken to a health center in the region.

Meanwhile, regime artillery and airstrikes targeted Eastern Ghouta’s cities of Harasta and Duma as well as the towns of Arbin and Marj, according to Anadolu Agency correspondents in the region.

One civilian was killed in an airstrike in Arbin, while civil defense teams rushed to the attacked areas to rescue victims stuck under debris.

Home to some 400,000 civilian residents, Eastern Ghouta has been under siege for five years, and humanitarian access to the city has been completely cut off. Hundreds are in urgent need of medical attention.

In the past eight months, the Bashar al-Assad regime has intensified its siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it almost impossible to bring food or medicine into the district and leaving hundreds of medical patients in need of treatment.

Notably, the district falls within a network of de-escalation zones — endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran — in which acts of aggression are expressly forbidden.

Syria has only just begun to emerge from a destructive civil war that began in early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

The next day, Tilerson had this to say, but notice there already was this scheduled signing 'ceremony' for the International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons. As they say, timing is everything, and they needed a little demonstration to help their narrative along:

https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2018/01/277601.htm

Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
Paris, France
January 23, 2018

SECRETARY TILLERSON: Again, I want to thank Foreign Minister Le Drian for hosting today’s signing ceremony for the launch of the International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons.

This meeting was about two things: stopping chemical weapons attacks and denying impunity to those who use or enable the use of such weapons. For an indication of what these weapons can do to humans, one need look no further than East Ghouta in Syria. Only yesterday more than 20 civilians, most of them children, were victims of an apparent chlorine gas attack.

The recent attacks in East Ghouta raise serious concerns that Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime may be continuing its use of chemical weapons against its own people. Whoever conducted the attacks, Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the victims in East Ghouta and countless other Syrians targeted with chemical weapons since Russia became involved in Syria.

In September 2013, Russia pressed for, negotiated and agreed to the framework for the elimination of Syrian chemical weapons – a diplomatic understanding between the United States and Russia requiring the verifiable destruction of Syria’s entire chemical weapons stockpile.

In so doing, Russia assumed responsibility as guarantor for ensuring that its Syrian allies cease all use of chemical weapons and fully declare its chemical weapons stockpile for destruction under international oversight.

The U.S.-Russia diplomatic framework was legally anchored by the United States and Russia in a decision of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and Resolution 2118 of the UN Security Council.

In addition, in March 2015, Russia supported the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2209, which emphasized that those responsible for the use of any toxic chemical as a weapon, including chlorine, must be held to account.

Russia has not lived up to these commitments. Since two thousand – April 2014, there has been mounting evidence that Syria continues to illicitly possess chemical weapons and use them against its own people.

The OPCW Fact-Finding Mission has confirmed multiple incidents of chemical weapons use in Syria, including the use of the toxic industrial chemical chlorine as a weapon. Some of these incidents, including the April 4th sarin attack, were later attributed to Syria by the OPCW UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, an independent panel of impartial experts established in August 2015 by the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2235, with the full support of Russia.

There is simply no denying that Russia, by shielding its Syrian ally, has breached its commitments to the United States as a framework guarantor. It has betrayed the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2218[1], and on these occasions has twice[2] vetoed UN Security Council resolutions to enforce the Joint Investigative Mechanism and continue its mandate.

Russia’s failure to resolve the chemical weapons issue in Syria calls into question its relevance to the resolution to the overall crisis. At a bare minimum, Russia must stop vetoing and at least abstain from future Security Council votes on this issue.

Over 25 like-minded countries are here today to ensure that those who use chemical weapons will be held accountable. France, the UK, Germany, Turkey, and many others are here today to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention and its vision of a world free of these heinous weapons.

We will use this Partnership to facilitate greater information sharing about chemical weapons use, including sanctions information to collect and preserve such information and to strengthen the capacity of states to hold responsible parties accountable. This initiative puts those who ordered and carried out chemical weapons attacks on notice. You will face a day of reckoning for your crimes against humanity and your victims will see justice done.

We call on the community of responsible and civilized nations to put the use of chemical weapons to an end. The choice is yours. The people of East Ghouta are watching and the rest of the world is watching as well.

Thank you.

________________________________________

[1] UN Security Council Resolution 2118

[2] Russia has vetoed these UNSC enforcement resolutions three times

Nikki Haley was right behind Tilerson:

Department of State
✔
@StateDept.@USUN Ambassador Nikki Haley:
#Russia is complicit in the Assad regime’s atrocities…The Assad regime continues to use chemical weapons against its own people.
2:11 PM - Jan 23, 2018

I guess it would be naive to consider that the proxies would end this tactic, yet it is now revised (like a phoenix program) it seems, to play out over the MSN and be refereed back in time to the former lies. It's getting so old and yet they will shovel this merde at people again.

You can read the International Partnership Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons 'Declaration of Principles' here - https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/international_partnership_against_impunity_for_the_use_of_chemical_weapons_declaration_of_principles2_en_cle818838-1.pdf and note some of the specifics. I guess they don't consider glyphosate etc. sprayed upon our food sources as chemical weapons, no, that would not do to have to add corporate and approving agencies names to their website and consider sanctions against. I digress.

I wonder what Rex was really thinking when he added his signature below this line: "You will face a day of reckoning for your crimes against humanity and your victims will see justice done."

 

[angelburst29]

The Syrian opposition groups inside the Idlib Governorate have accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons inside the city of Saraqib this past weekend.

Syrian opposition accuses government of using chemical weapons in Idlib 05/02/2018
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-opposition-accuses-government-using-chemical-weapons-idlib/

According to a statement from the pro-opposition White Helmets, at least eight people were killed and 40 more were wounded when a Syrian jet allegedly dropped chlorine gas on a residential neighborhood in Saraqib.

The Syrian opposition’s national counci has called on the United Nations Security Council to take “urgent action” against the Syrian government.

“It is expected from the international community to work at all levels to condemn the attacks as well as to save civilians in Idlib, Ghouta and all across Syria and to stop the attacks,” the SNC statement read.

The Syrian government has maintained that their forces have not used chemical weapons and that they are committed to the 2013 agreement that requires them to dispose of all of their stockpiles.

 

[angelburst29]

Assad slammed at UN for gas attacks on Syrians Tuesday 6 February 2018
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1240101/middle-east

The Assad regime was accused on Monday of new chemical gas barrel bomb attacks on civilians in Idlib province in northern Syria and the Eastern Ghouta enclave on the outskirts of Damascus.

In New York, Russia blocked UN Security Council condemnation of the gas attacks, despite what US Ambassador Nikki Haley described as “obvious evidence from dozens of victims.”

“We have reports that the Assad regime has used chlorine gas against its people multiple times in recent weeks, including just yesterday,” Haley said.

The US has proposed a draft statement condemning the use of chemicals as a weapon. “Russia has delayed the adoption of this statement — a simple condemnation of Syrian children being suffocated by chlorine gas,” Haley said.

Two barrels containing chemical gas were dropped from helicopters in Idlib on Sunday night, said Radi Saad of the White Helmets civil defense group. The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a charity that supports hospitals in Syria, said its doctors in Idlib reported 11 patients with symptoms indicating the use of chlorine gas.

“The Assad regime has launched an unrestricted spree of chemical warfare attacks against civilians across Syria in recent days,” Oubai Shahbandar, a Syrian-American analyst and fellow at the New America Foundation’s International Security Program, told Arab News.

“The footage of victims who have been hit by Assad’s chlorine gas attacks is horrific and should raise alarm bells in the world’s capitals. The fact that Moscow in November vetoed efforts by the UN to send inspectors into Syria is further encouraging Assad to launch more chemical attacks.

“The UN is woefully deadlocked. The real question now is whether the US will take action.”

Syrian opposition leaders condemned the latest attacks. “The bloody campaign launched against Idlib and its countryside proves yet again that the regime and the Iranian axis are insisting on the continuation of the military solution, impeding any efforts to reach a political solution,” the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) said.

The Assad regime, protected by Russia, had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria, the SNC said. “We demand urgent intervention and immediate action by the Security Council to … hold accountable the perpetrators of such crimes, and all other crimes, against the great Syrian people.”

The target for the chemical gas attacks in Idlib was the town of Saraqeb, near where militants shot down a Russian warplane on Saturday and killed its pilot.

A hospital in Kafranbel, another town in Idlib province, was also bombed on Monday morning. Another hospital, in Maaret Al-Numan, was struck three times on Sunday night and put out of service. An apartment building in the city of Idlib, the provincial capital, was destroyed. “It’s just punishment,” said Wissam Zarqa, an activist in Idlib. “When you are targeting hospitals, targeting Idlib city, it’s just to say ‘I am here, and I can hurt you’.”

In Eastern Ghouta, the opposition-held suburb of Damascus that has been designated a de-escalation zone, at least 28 civilians died in dozens of regime air strikes on Monday. The deadliest raids hit a market in the town of Beit Sawa, killing 10 civilians, two of them children.

According to news agencies, another nine civilians, two of them children and one a local rescue worker, were killed in Arbin. Nine more civilians died in strikes across the rest of the besieged region, and dozens more were wounded.

In Arbin, the lifeless bodies of young children were laid out on the floor of a hospital, said AFP. One of the dead was a member of a volunteer rescue force in the town, and a group of his colleagues wept over his body. Outside, a man sat sobbing silently on top of a pile of rubble after having lost two of his family in the raids.