One of most shameful pieces in @theintercept’s history (strong competition).
@James__Harkin found staging in Douma yet still concludes “the government did it.” OPCW leaks came shortly after this ran in Feb 2019, yet zero mention by TI since.
On top of whitewashing the Douma war crime -- massacring civilians to stage a chemical attack -- & the OPCW cover-up, @James__Harkin portrays regime change orgs as independent sources.
All four of the groups in this graf are US-gov't funded, which The Intercept doesn't disclose:
Look how @James__Harkin portrays the NED-funded, NATO troll farm Bellingcat: "a U.K.-based organization specializing in open-source online investigations" run by Eliot Higgins, whose "eagle-eyed" work "won him a reputation in the field."
It'd be funny if it weren't so evil.
For the facts about all four of these shady Dirty War orgs cited by @James__Harkin of @TheIntercept, see a real adversarial outlet:
Dirty Wars require cover-ups. So when it comes to Syria, there's a lot. We've seen the OPCW censor its own investigators. We're also seeing the NATO states that poured millions into the "White Helmets" desperately thwarting any public disclosure: volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achterg…
This Dutch outlet reports that a Netherlands cabinet minister, Sigrid Kaag, intended to inform lawmakers about fraud at Mayday Rescue, the group behind the White Helmets. But Kaag was pressured into not sending the letter. Netherlands saw itself politically as "extra vulnerable."
In Feb 2020, diplomats met in Istanbul about the White Helmets fraud. Discussion topics included "avoiding political risks" and "minimal exposure."
This came shortly after the death of White Helmets founder/UK operative James le Mesurier, who had admitted to financial fraud.
When it comes to their Syria cover-up, OPCW leaders should get their lies straight.
Just one graf from Ahmet Üzümcü, who presided over the Douma cover-up until it was taken over by his successor, current OPCW DG Fernando Arias, has multiple holes & lies. councilonstrategicrisks.org/2021/04/29/the…
Üzümcü claims that the OPCW team in Syria "determined the use of chlorine." He omits a small detail: the actual team found zero evidence of chlorine gas use, but had their findings censored and were then replaced by a "team" that didn't set foot in Syria. thenation.com/article/world/…
Trying to suggest a Syrian cover-up -- rather than the documented cover-up under his watch -- Üzümcü claims that the Douma team deployed "after some delay by the Syrian authorities."
He should consult the OPCW's own final report, which attributes the delay to security concerns:
You claim that Berlin Group 21 (BG21) -- eminent voices behind the Statement of Concern (SoC) on OPCW cover-up -- are a "front" for the Working Group (WG), a UK academic collective. You also claim WG "released" SoC in BG21's name.
I opened with a summary of the OPCW's Syria scandal: OPCW inspectors found no evidence of a Syrian government chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma in April 2018. But their findings were doctored and suppressed, and the entire team was sidelined:
On top of the censorship, a US delegation pressured the Douma team to back US claims of a chemical attack (its pretext for bombing Syria in April 2018).
OPCW has since attacked the dissenters; & US-UK state-funded media actors Bellingcat & BBC have been leaked disinformation:
I spoke to the UN Security Council on Friday about the OPCW's Syria cover-up.
I asked @USUN & @AmbassadorAllen of UK if they'll accept a proposal to let the OPCW's Scientific Advisory Board assess the dispute over the Douma probe & meet the dissenting inspectors:
By the time @USUN & @AmbassadorAllen could answer, they were no longer in the meeting. (I'm not sure at what point they left, possibly before my question though I doubt it).
I hope they answer. If there's nothing to hide, why not let the OPCW's own scientists resolve the issue?
I also responded to a bizarre new claim by OPCW chief Arias in response to questions from @wallacemick & @ClareDalyMEP. (
.@IgnatiusPost reports that Kash Patel -- a former senior US official & House Intel staffer who helped expose intelligence malpractice in the Russiagate probe -- is now facing DOJ investigation for "possible improper disclosure of classified information." washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Nature of the probe is unclear. Given the serious intel malfeasance & major evidentiary holes that Patel helped expose in the Trump-Russia probe, I have to wonder if this politically motivated retaliation. It's curious that there are no details on what he's being eyed for.
As WP article notes, Patel did a rare, extensive interview with me this year about his work investigating Russiagate.