Thread by @aaronjmate

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.

The White Helmets' shadiness goes far beyond financial corruption. They work closely with jihadist groups, including Al-Qaeda, & have been used as a propaganda tool to whitewash and wage the Dirty War on Syria. This includes taking part in the staged chemical incidents in Douma.

Sources for above tweet --

Work w/ jihadists: (observers.france24.com/en/20180510-sy…)

Propaganda tool: (archive.is/e003x)

Douma staging: (

https://web.archive.org/web/20190214055327if_/https://twitter.com/Dalatrm/status/1095677403198906369

)
(independent.co.uk/voices/syria-c…)

As a propaganda tool to manufacturing consent for regime change, White Helmets were highly successful. An easy way to verify is by checking whether our top "adversarial" outlets parroted the disinformation campaign (with @TheIntercept & @democracynow, it's often a yes on Syria).