As war escalates in Syria, a reminder that the 'Assad is bad' narrative has been maintained via repeated allegations of chemical weapons use. As revealed by the @opcw whistleblower scientists, this narrative has been maintained through deception. berlingroup21.org x.com
1) The key problem with the allegations, in the first instance, is that they have been supplied by organisations (such as the White Helmets, CBRN task force, Violations Documentation Center) linked to opposition groups and countries seeking to overthrow the Syrian government.
2) As @aaronjmate explains in this article, reliance upon such sources broke a fundamental rule that investigations should not rely upon evidence supplied by intermediaries thegrayzone.com
3) The problem of unreliable evidence and manipulated reports has been ubiquitous throughout. For example, in 2013, prior to Ghouta, British allegations were based upon covert MI6 operations involving a former British military officer Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. The subsequent joint UN-OPCW investigation stated the Sheik Maqsood 'could not be corroborated'.
4) In 2014, information supplied by the CBRN Task Force, established by de Bretton-Gordon, supplied imagery of an alleged chlorine gas attack site which had been staged; see syriapropagandamedia.org
5) The OPCW investigation then concluded that this scene had not been caused by the alleged chlorine gas attack youtube.com
6) Specifically, the crater was caused by an explosive buried in the ground. Incredibly, the investigation still chose to believe an alleged impact site just 90 meters away from the staged site allegedly caused at the same time as the staged scene seen above! x.com
7) Regarding the Ghouta 2013 attack, this was controversial at the time (see @WVanwagenen's detailed review libertarianinstitute.org…)
8) We now know the joint UN-OPCW investigation report contained a 30 degree measurement error which allowed the finger to be pointed at the Syrian government. Despite multiple requests, the report author, Ake Sellstrom has been unable to explain this error: youtube.com
9) Most importantly, this comprehensive analysis by
@CL4Syr and @MichaKobs shows the sarin rockets were launched from opposition territory: rootclaim-media.s3.amazonaws.com
@CL4Syr and @MichaKobs shows the sarin rockets were launched from opposition territory: rootclaim-media.s3.amazonaws.com
10) More detailed discussion of alleged chlorine gas attacks and their investigations are detailed in this briefing note and includes the implausible binary devise displayed in this image syriapropagandamedia.org
12) Staging and deception go further than just manipulation of craters and imagined devices. Regarding the 2017 Khan Shaykhun alleged sarin attack, for example, head wounds appeared on victims after their purported rescue by the White Helmets: see libyancivilwar.blogspot.com x.com
13) In the case of the Douma 2018 attack, deceased were repositioned, as reported by the BBC's Riam Dalati at the time: x.com
15) We also know that the scenes involving the chlorine cylinder and the balcony roof at Douma were manipulated. Aside from the damage to the cylinder head and the damage to the ceiling being incompatible with one another, @bellingcat and @EliotHiggins
covered up the fact that the cylinder was had been manually rotated.
covered up the fact that the cylinder was had been manually rotated.
16) As @MichaKobs shows in this thread, this cylinder, can be seen to have been rotated through 180 degrees, to line up a dent with a steel bar, and then tilted so that its nozzle points into a hole in the roof. @bellingcat
deleted the tweet showing this. x.com x.com
deleted the tweet showing this. x.com x.com
17) Most significantly, the OPCW Douma report covered up the fact that NATO chemical warfare toxicologists had concluded these civilians were not killed by chlorine gas. See annex 1 of the BG21 review: berlingroup21.org x.com
18) full and comprehensive detailing of the evidence provided by the @opcw's own whistleblowing scientists, including evidence of staging and manipulation, is fully documented in this 50k review. berlingroup21.org x.com
20) To sum up, staging of chemical weapons events and manipulation of reports is a recurrent feature and across the entire period of the war in Syria. By 2018, this was becoming so serious and blatant that two of the OPCW's most experience scientists effectively blew the whistle on what was going on. berlingroup21.org 28 experts and authoritative figures supported them:
21) Claimed by groups with a vested interest to deceive, the most credible and serious incidents, as determined by the OPCW, all reveal clear evidence of manipulation and staging. Less credible and less serious events reported by western aligned groups are unlikely to show any different.
23) and an attempt by Bellingcat, which involved a falsified letter: thegrayzone.com
25) Whilst @bellingcat verbally abuse anyone questioning the US/Uk narrative and others are subjected to smear campaigns syriapropagandamedia.org x.com
26) The @opcw is involved in a major cover up, as explained in this statement from BG21: berlingroup21.org…. Strategic deceptions are common place in international politics. The Syria chemical weapons narrative is one of them. x.com
27) Latest statement from BG21 including thread with interview links, see this tweet thread x.com
28) see also x.com
39) And latest update from BG21 can be read here: berlingroup21.org x.com
30) On the @opcw whistleblowers see also claredaly.ie for the European Parliament by @wallacemick and @ClareDalyIRL x.com
30) On the @opcw whistleblowers see also The 'Way Forward' Report for the European Parliament by @wallacemick and @ClareDalyIRL claredaly.ie x.com
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