Amid claims of pressure and coercion, Russia parades people from Douma to deny chemical assault
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In the highest-profile display in its campaign to sweep away the April 7 chemical attacks on Douma, near Syria’s capital Damascus, Russia has brought more than a dozen residents to the headquarters of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Netherlands.
Russia has already blocked the OPCW from attributing responsibility for the two assaults, confirmed by local doctors, first responders, residents, and citizen journalists to have been carried out by helicopters of the Assad regime. Russian personnel reportedly moved into the sites soon afterwards to remove or disturb evidence. And, while OPCW inspectors were delayed from reaching Douma until this week, Russia, the Assad regime, and supporters pursued a loud campaign to proclaim — at different times — that there was no chemical attack at all, that rebels carried out a “false flag” attack, that White Helmets rescuers staged the incidents, and that British agents were responsible.
The OPCW had criticized Russia for not allowing inspectors to speak with the Syrians before they were displayed on Russia State TV in prime-time broadcasts. However, with OPCW inspectors now trying to assess the cause, using what evidence may remain in Douma and biological samples from survivors and the deceased, Russia defied the organization with the presentation to try and pre-empt any findings from the investigation.
The Syrians included several medical personnel, who all put out the storyline that the rumors of a chemical attack — which never occurred — were fed by White Helmets rescuers who shouted “Chemicals!” — as victims of a non-chemical incident were brought into Douma’s main hospital. The personnel claimed that the victims were suffering from dust inhalation from shelling, as pro-Assad forces tried to take over the last town in East Ghouta, held by the opposition since 2012.
“Unknown people started creating chaos, and pouring water on people. We were specialists and we could see there were no symptoms of the use of chemical weapons,” said a physician named as Khalil, who said he was on duty in the emergency care unit.
He said all patients were sent home that night, in contrast to footage confirming scores of deaths and witness reports — including from doctors at the time of the attacks — of about 85 fatalities and hundreds of injured.
Thursday’s Russian-organized accounts were offered against the backdrop of Russian military personnel taking doctors and medical staff to Damascus for questioning. The medics were warned of arrest and/or effect on their families if they did not deny the chemical attacks, according to multiple local sources.
Russia also presented 11-year-old Hassan Diab, who was seen in a video on the night of the attacks, crying in the hospital as he was treated. Diab and his father were subsequently taken by the Russians to the Syrian Arab Army Officers’ Club in Damascus, where they gave the preferred story of a non-existent attack and blame on the White Helmets for inciting hysteria.
On Thursday, the Syrians gave brief statements. Their answers to questions were limited, as Russia’s envoy to the OPCW, Alexander Shulgin, did almost all of the speaking.
“After this briefing, no one would have a shadow of a doubt who distributes fake news and who is waging an information war,” Shulgin said.
Reporters noted that none of the Syrians gave any account of events beyond the hospital, including at one of the site, a residential building where at least 35 people were killed.
Sonia Gallegos of Al Jazeera English summarized:
We have absolutely no concrete evidence that these indeed are the people that were at the site and that there is truth to this.
The witnesses had very similar statements in how they described things, but no documentation was provided with reference to their identification at all.
It’s quite difficult to see how this would have been intended to make anything clear because we’re really left with more questions than answers to this whole situation and that’s only something the OPCW can resolve with evidence from the ground.
The US, Britain, France and other countries boycotted the conference, calling it “nothing more than a crude propaganda exercise” and an “obscene masquerade”.
Turkey Presses New US Secretary of State Over Manbij
Turkey has put immediate pressure on the new US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, demanding the withdrawal of Kurdish forces from Manbij in eastern Aleppo Province.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu saw Pompeo on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels, only a day after the Secretary of State’s confirmation.
He said the two sides agreed a roadmap for a joint working group but then laid down Ankara’s demand:
We will implement the Manbij model in other parts of Syria, particularly east of the Euphrates. We’ll therefore be taking a step with the U.S. on an issue that causes tension in our bilateral ties. If the roadmap is implemented, the [Kurdish militia] YPG will be withdrawn from Manbij. Otherwise we’ll have to intervene against the terrorists just like we did in Afrin.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, led by the YPG, took Manbij from the Syrian Democratic Forces in 2016. Tensions then rose as Ankara — which considers the YPG to be part of the Turkish Kurdish insurgency PKK — demanded an SDF pullback east of the Euphrates.
Mattis: US Withdrawal from Syria Would Be A Mistake
In the latest sign of pushback against Donald Trump’s call for withdrawal of US forces from Syria, Defense Secretary James Mattis has told legislators that departure would be a mistake.
Since Trump told rallies last month of his plans for the US to “get out” of the country, the Pentagon has pushed back by leaking plans to the media for an increase, rather than a decrease, in deployment. The head of Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel, has said US forces are needed for stabilization in the fight against ISIS — even as Trump froze $200 million in funds for the task, and asked Saudi Arabia to take over by giving $4 billion.
Mattis said the US plans to expand its efforts in the Middle Euphrates Valley, alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and French special forces, to remove the last Islamic State pockets.
On Wednesday, Votel said the US will welcome contributions in forces, equipment or funding from Middle Eastern allies, but he suggested that contributions by Arab nations had not been finalized and said that new forces would require time to hone their operations.
“We’ve got a very experienced team on the ground that’s been orchestrating this for a couple of years. It would be difficult for someone to immediately step in and replace us, but certainly with time and experience, or maybe a little different situation on the ground, perhaps they could do that,” Votel asserted.
Latest Pro-Assad Airstrikes in Northwest Syria
The latest pro-Assad airstrikes in northwest Syria have destroyed a girls’ school and knocked out the only health center in a town in Idlib Province.
Witnesses said regime helicopters dropped at least six high explosive naval mines on Kafarsajna in southern Idlib.
Activists said housing centers in Idlib can receive no more wounded and sick people, with many towns left without any functioning health facilities.
“The situation in the northern governorate of Idlib remains catastrophic, with almost 400,000 people displaced since mid-December, in addition to tens of thousands who were displaced from the south, including Eastern Ghouta,” the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ursula Mueller, told the Security Council on Wednesday. “There are simply no more sites or shelters available for the vast majority of new arrivals. There has been a 25% increase in Idlib’s displaced population than a year ago.”
Pro-Assad forces suspended an offensive into southeast Idlib Province in January as they redeployed forces to overrun East Ghouta near Damascus. However, airstrikes and shelling have continued in Idlib and in neighboring northern Hama Province.
N. #Hama: town of #KafrZita still bombed today by #RuAF. https://t.co/diKrBpyINfhttps://t.co/eFOrow8DF6 pic.twitter.com/XbkGPJMIcz
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) April 27, 2018
Who are the sources of information for the alleged chemical attack in Douma? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43697084
“Activists from the Violations Documentation Center (VDC), which records alleged violations of international law in Syria, reported two separate incidents of bombs believed to contain toxic substances being dropped by the Syrian Air Force.”
OK…but….“The VDC cited a member of the Syria Civil Defence, whose rescue workers are widely known as the White Helmets, as saying he smelt chlorine in the air after the strike, but that he could not determine its source.”
and…“At 19:45, more than 500 patients – most of them women and children – were brought to medical facilities with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent, according to the Syria Civil Defence and the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a relief organisation that supports hospitals in rebel-held areas.”
We also have the statements of the WHO (http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2018/chemical-attacks-syria/en/) and the UOSSM (http://myemail.constantcontact.com/PRESS-RELEASE.html?soid=1125761508982&aid=Lzt4NhXj_aI), but these seem to rely on the White Helmets and the SAMS as their source of information.
The UOSSM refers to a video (made by the rebels/opposition) of dead bodies in a basement that appear to show symptoms of a chemical attack with corpses exuding foam from the mouth: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YO6gp45GMeEAw-nHkdnFc2tuy2MoMnd8/view The UOSSM is careful, however, to state that the video is unverified.
Finally, the SOHR reports many deaths on the day of the alleged incident, but does not seem to claim there was a chemical attack:“The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said air strikes on 6 and 7 April killed almost 100 people. It said they included 21 who died as a result of suffocation, but that it was unable to identify the cause.”
And then there are doctors, first responders, residents, local journalists, and activists who also reported the attacks at the times and afterwards — in other words, the Russian propaganda that this is only from the White Helmets and the Syrian American Medical Society is disinformation.
I stand corrected. A medical student supposedly from Douma left a voice message where he claimed there had been a horrendous attack: https://twitter.com/joelmgunter/status/983086413167190016?s=21
“A very emotional voice message from a young medic in Douma – The past two days have been the worst days of my life. Yesterday, after about 40 hours work without stop, I stood in front of the patients and asked myself what they did to deserve this fate.”
Shame that none of the staff at Douma hospital could recall this. Well, actually, they did say yesterday that they had treated those injured by airstrikes and shelling, as well as those who had inhaled smoke and any toxic gases produced from a conventional explosion/fire. Like I say, the only body in the world that has the resources and expertise to verify whether a chemical attack has taken place is the OPCW.
Were they being asked to recall by the Russian military or the Syrian security services?
Does anyone know what happened to that cannister on the bed? Did the OPCW take possession of it too inspect it’s contents?
That area is controlled by Assad now. What do you think Assad has done with the chlorine/sarin canister? Put it on a pedestal for all to see and inspect?
What do you think Assad has done with the chlorine/sarin canister? Put it on a pedestal for all to see and inspect?
The CBS and Swedish news agency were able to attend the site of the cannister so there is no reason the OPCW cannot
The argument seems a little facile (it’s a variation on “demographics is destiny” ) but the article does a decent job of highlighting a few of the real structural problems within Syria leading to the 2011 protests and subsequent civil war.
I recommend it for everyone who continues to insist the whole thing is a western conspiracy. You know who you are.
http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/peak-fragility-why-the-middle-east-is-doomed/
Landis makes some strong arguments and indeed the initial protests in Syria were driven by the drought and economic hardship in Syria. Landis however ignores the obvious fact that the US was already planning a coup/regime change for Syria back as early as 2005.
I recommend it for everyone who continues to deny the western plans for regime change in Syria more than a decade ago. You know who you are.
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/10/12/alassad.transcript/
Being a Soviet satellite to spread communism, of course regime change must be planned in Syria during Hafez’s reign. Don’t you understand international politics?
‘“After this briefing, no one would have a shadow of a doubt who distributes fake news and who is waging an information war,” Shulgin said.’
Two observations/questions:
1) Can anybody think of anyone using the phrase “fake news” who isn’t completely full of sh*t ? At least post-Trump? Buy I’m so used to it as a US Conservative dog whistle, that it’s weird to hear the Russians using it too. Are they trying to communicate directly with Trump supporters, as a way of manipulating Trump?
2) It seems like a glib observation, but it has occurred to me three or four times now that whatever the Russians accuse the West of doing is exactly (not sort-of, or kinda like, but precisely) what they themselves are doing.
Russia says: “The Americans are conducting an information war … ” == Russia is conducting an information war.
Russia says: “The Americans want to bomb Syria to destroy evidence …” == Russia is bombing Syria to destroy evidence. Et cetera.
One wants to think the Russians are more sophisticated than that, but here we are.
[Side note, this Russian behaviour reminds of when, during the Libyan uprising, Qaddafi mused that it was due to foreign agents slipping LSD into protesters’ coffee. A particularly observant colleague remarked to me, “now we know how Qaddafi takes his coffee.”]
1) Can anybody think of anyone using the phrase “fake news” who isn’t completely full of sh*t
You must be referring to there Washington Post, who pushed the PoPornOt conspiracy web site that came up with it’s list of “fake news” sites.
2) It seems like a glib observation, but it has occurred to me three or four times now that whatever the Russians accuse the West of doing is exactly (not sort-of, or kinda like, but precisely) what they themselves are doing
It seems like a glib observation, but it has occurred to me three or four times now that whatever the West accuse the Russia and Assad doing exactly what they themselves are doing
[Side note, this Western behaviour reminds of when, during the Libyan uprising, Samantha Power mused that it was due to foreign agents slipping Vagara to his troops to encourage them to rape civilians.
My favourite example of projection by the West is when they accuse Iran and Russia of destabilising the region when it was the illegal war on Iraq based on lies that set the region on fire
WMD production facilities were discovered in Iraq during the invasion.
Wrong. No such facility existed.
Why do you keep repeating the devbunked WMD lies so long after all have been resoundingly debunked even by the US government?
Duelfer Report: “Saddam wanted to recreate Iraq’s WMD capability, which was essentially destroyed in 1991, after sanctions were removed and Iraq’s economy stabilized. Saddam aspired to develop a nuclear capability—in an incremental fashion, irrespective of international pressure and the resulting economic risks—but he intended to focus on ballistic missile and tactical chemical warfare (CW) capabilities.
Saddam deceived his own army and the best intelligence agencies in the world into believing he still had WMDs because he believed none of his enemies would dare attack him if he had WMDs.
Saddam believed the U.S. and the coalition that threatened to go to war against him if the U.N. resolutions were not met was bluffing.”
“Duelfer also concluded that Saddam planned to resume production of weapons of mass destruction once the United Nations lifted economic sanctions.”
CHRONOLOGY OF THE OPCW MISSION TO DOUMA:
April 7: An alleged chemical attack occurs in Douma, as reported by the White Helmets, pro-opposition activists and the Syrian-American Medical Society.
April 10: The Syrian government formally invites the OPCW to visit Douma to investigate.
April 14: The OPCW team arrives in Damascus.
April 15/April16: Discussion are held about the scope, purpose and security arrangements for the inspectors.
April 17: A UN reconnaissance team assesses security situation for the OPCW in Douma but is fired on.
April 19: The UN/OPCW says it will not telegraph when it goes in again.
April 21: Facting-finding members of the OPCW team visit one of the suspected sites in Douma.
April 25: Facting-finding members of the OPCW team visit the second of the suspected sites in Douma.
Yep. A week for the Russians to blunt the scope of the inquiry. Another week in which “security issues” conveniently arise while the Syrians and Russians intimidate enough people to run their dog and pony show, and contaminate the scene.
Then they are ready to let the inspectors in. The inspectors will find evidence of a chemical attack, but (thanks to the Russians) won’t be able/allowed to draw firm conclusions. In a year from now, probably after Assad’s next major CW attack Russian trolls and their useful idiots will cite selected bits of the report to argue simultaneously that, a) there was no evidence of a chemical attack; b) the evidence of a chemical attack was fabricated; c) there was a chemical attack, but the inspectors were unable to determine who was responsible.
No. The inspectors could not have arrived any sooner. It wouldn’t have been logistically feasible. They certainly couldn;t have arrived until Trump had ordered his airstrikes on Damascus. They visited the first suspected site within a week of arriving. All chemical experts agree that an inspection within 3 weeks of an alleged chemical attack is perfectly fine for determining the facts of the case. During the Iran-Iraq war, UN teams were sent in months after a reported attack against Iranian civilians and still found evidence of Saddam’s use of mustard gas, sarin and VX. Satellite imagery does not show any evidence of tampering. You would have heard about it by now.
How would satellite imagery disclose tampering inside a building?
Inspectors were in Damascus on April 14. They were then held up by the Assad regime and the Russians for more than a week.
I suspect the inspectors will still find somd evidence, in spite of tampering. I suspect Russian delaying tactics are more about manipulating the news cycle (counting on short attention spans).
Speaking of short attention spans, it is interesting to note that the Skripal case has gone dead aka if a sudden. There are not numerous reporters that there was not Novichok poisoning involved and that the Skripals were affected by exposure to Fentanyl.
Craig Murray also reports that the British government has issued a D notice to stop the media reporting on the case. No updates on the condition of Sergei and Yulia seems to have been taken hostage and not even allowed to give an interview, not to mention her sister being denied a visa too visit her sister.
The Fentanyl diversion is based on a pro-Russia social media account basing the story on an erroneous report from March 5 in a local newspaper.
Craig Murray should be treated as a conspiracy theorist. Sergey Skripal is still recovering in hospital. Yulia Skripal is in a safe house.
Yulia does not have a sister.
She will tell her story soon. Not to worry.
How long did it take for the UN and OPCW to negotiate the Terms of Reference for this inspection? Which places they can go, what responsibilities can they assign, what samples they can collect, whom they can talk to?
And what about all the delaying tactics of Russia at the UNSC?
That poor young lad Hassan Diab. He has known bombing and shelling for most of his life. He was gassed by the Assad/Putin gang and is now being made to lie about it under threats. You can see from the expression on his face that he has serious contempt for the Russian on his right. How can the free world stand back and allow this to happen?
He was gassed by the Assad/Putin gang and is now being made to lie about it under threats.
He looks is remarkably good health for someone who was gassed. All that happened to him was that he was showered with water and had some jihadists shove a ventolin into his mouth without even administering it properly.
I know the answer but have you ever stopped to think that the hospital might have been treating victims of *both* conventional and chemical attacks that night?
The Russians have shot themselves in the foot with this one! All the OPCW have to prove is that there was a chemical weapon used, which should not be too difficult to get at least one sample. Then the fabrication that the deaths were caused by dust (which has never been reported as a cause of death before in the Syrian war) will be shown to be deliberately constructed by Russia and is evidence of their complicity in the use of chemical weapons. Coupled with the fact that the Russians predicted the chemical attack before it happened, which reveals they were planning the attack, there will be good evidence for producing in a war crimes court.