Thread on findings by a recent Courage Foundation panel on the #OPCW investigation of last year's #Douma incident, whose members are "unanimous in expressing our alarm over unacceptable practices in the investigation of the alleged chemical attack". #Syria
wikileaks.org/opcw-douma/
wikileaks.org/opcw-douma/
Now for the record this isn't some congregation of conspiracy theorists or political partisans. Panelists include former OPCW Inspector General José Bustani, whose work with Saddam was so good that John Bolton threatened his kids to end his peacemongering.
theintercept.com/2018/03/29/joh…
theintercept.com/2018/03/29/joh…
Quote from Bustani on the OPCW report on Douma. Again, this isn't some schmuck, this is a former OPCW Director General (erroneously called him "Inspector General" above) about the "very disturbing" picture exposed by the OPCW whistleblower's presentation:
Panel found that the conclusions drawn in the OPCW report "are flawed and bear little relation to the facts." Again, this was after an extensive presentation by a member of the OPCW's investigation team.
Some major plot holes in the OPCW report's chemical analysis, including chemicals claimed to be “not naturally present in the environment” which are in fact "ubiquitous in the background", with no transparency from the OPCW about control samples of those chemicals.
This is an alleged chlorine gas attack, mind you, so it's essential to rule out that the chemicals aren't from household cleaning products, chlorinated water supplies, etc. But there's no transparency from OPCW about what levels chlorinated organic chemicals were found to be at.
"There were no visible signs of a bleach agent or
discoloration due to contact with a bleach agent”?? So, what, it's impossible that a bleach agent was used? What do you need, someone actually on their knees during the investigation using a bottle with the word "BLEACH" on it?
discoloration due to contact with a bleach agent”?? So, what, it's impossible that a bleach agent was used? What do you need, someone actually on their knees during the investigation using a bottle with the word "BLEACH" on it?
“It is not possible to precisely link the cause of the signs and symptoms to a specific chemical”, but it was definitely chlorine because we said so. No you can't see the evidence, just trust us.
"Expert opinions on that occasion were that the signs and symptoms observed in videos and from witness accounts were not consistent with exposure to molecular chlorine," but this was kept from us by the OPCW in its report. For our own good, I'm sure.
It is indeed strange that the Engineering Assessment which completely disagreed with the official OPCW report was not just dismissed, but actively concealed from the public.
OPCW dismissed an alternative theory due to “the absence of
primary and secondary fragmentation characteristics”, despite their not being absent at all.
primary and secondary fragmentation characteristics”, despite their not being absent at all.
Many OPCW inspectors were excluded from the process of creating the actual report. "The panel is particularly troubled by organisational efforts to obfuscate and prevent inspectors from raising legitimate concerns about possible malpractices surrounding the Douma investigation."
Wikileaks editor @khrafnsson demands transparency from the OPCW on the Douma Fact-Finding Mission, which was used to justify the bombing of a sovereign nation by the US, UK and France last year.
@khrafnsson WikiLeaks asks for leaks from within the OPCW to bring information to the public, since apparently the OPCW has decided we need to be sheltered from information about their Douma investigation.
