@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio Thanks for that. Good to have some actual engagement on the issues. I will reply to each in turn below.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 1. The evidence supports a managed massacre as the most likely explanation of the Douma incident. We cannot say who carried out the massacre. People dressed as White Helmets were involved in dealing with the bodies of the victims.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 2.1 Experience with industrial accidents show that chlorine is unlikely to kill large numbers of people unless it is released on an industrial scale or the victims are in a confined space.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 2.2 We investigated the 2 alleged Chlorine attacks for which the JIM Leadership Panel stated it 'had sufficient information to reach a conclusion on the actors involved', blaming the Syrian government: Talmenes 2014; Sarmin 2015.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 2.3 For both Talmenes 2014 and Sarmin 2015, we find strong evidence that the reports of chlorine attacks are false.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 3.1 Obviously we do not make such an assertion about 'the dead in Syria'. We conclude that for Douma 2018, the evidence favours a managed massacre of captives.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 3.2 There is, as it happens, evidence that the opposition was responsible for some other massacres of civilians for which they blamed government forces.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 3.3 One of the clearest examples is the Douma hostage massacre of August 2012, investigated by the late (and sadly missed) German artist and citizen-journalist Ursula Behr. goo.gl/CHs4cm
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 3.4 Note: this was a case where the rebels uploaded images of civilians with their throats cut, allegedly by government forces. However, they were careless enough to upload another video showing the same individuals as captives in their hands. Ursula was the first to spot this.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 4. We have not stated that MI6 has been staging chemical attacks in Syria. We have noted that there is strong evidence that the Talmenes incident was staged, and that MI6 was involved in providing evidence to the FFM from this staged attack.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 5.1 All relevant witness statements should be evaluated. On Talmenes, we have strong evidence that the witness statements are false because they describe an event - a barrel bomb impact at Location #1 - the JIM's expert concluded couldn't have happened as described.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 5.2 Where OPCW investigators did not themselves select witnesses, the credibility of the witnesses depends critically on how they were selected. For Talmenes 2014 the FFM gives no information on witness selection. For Sarmin 2015 witnesses were selected by CVDCS/Same Justice.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 5.3 We have not stated that witnesses to these incidents were supplied by anyone linked to MI6. We are still investigating the organizations reported to have identified witnesses
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 6. All witness statements, whatever medium they appear on, should be evaluated to weigh the evidence. In the case of the Douma hospital witnesses, we can compare their statements with what was shown in the video.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 7.1 There were at least three independently-sourced press reports in 2013 of an MI6-led operation to collect samples from alleged chemical attacks for analysis at Porton Down.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 7.2 Our further enquiries have confirmed that at least one of these can be traced to a reliable source independent of the others.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 7.3 See answer to question 4 - we have not asserted that alleged chemical attacks 'are being staged by MI6'. Our investigation is continuing.
@im_PULSE @MaherBarotchi @mhmadallan @syrianviews @sarah131214 @PiersRobinson1 @AlysEliza @Tim_Hayward_ @OborneTweets @marydejevsky @bbclysedoucet @alextomo @ClarkeMicah @CraigMurrayOrg @dancohen3000 @MaxBlumenthal @jimmy_dore @Jonathan_K_Cook @JohnWight1 @johnpilger @NeilClark66 @afshinrattansi @SecureBio 8. We have not made any such assertion. Our briefing note of 9 May 2018 cast doubt on the UK government’s argument that only Russia had a motive for the attack on the Skripals. Have a look. Further detailed responses and comments are welcome goo.gl/7z3FbZ
