Thread by @PiersRobinson1

The @ISDglobal and @guardian's @TownsendMark fail to address the substantive and longstanding controversy over the @OPCW Douma investigation as well as other alleged chemical weapon attacks, dismissing them instead as conspiracies/russian disinformation: @Tim_Hayward_ @aaronjmate

https://twitter.com/jasmineelgamal/status/1538542632690909184

1) It is now established that the original interim report was manipulated to make false claims regarding evidence for the alleged attack and this was reported on in 2019 by @ClarkeMicah: hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2019/11/new-se…

2) Whilst the @couragefound panel heard testimony from an OPCW official confirming manipulation of evidence and malpractice at the OPCW: couragefound.org/2019/10/analyt…

3) This thread provides further details regarding these manipulations and deserves close reading:

https://twitter.com/PiersRobinson1/status/1379668154792734720?s=20&t=teAX2G7mD5WO-mimgiakbA

4) Contrary to what is asserted in the @ISDglobal report, the issues raised by the OPCW whistleblowers have never been resolved. Instead, they and others have been subjected to smear campaigns and false allegations, as referred to in this statement: berlingroup21.org/key-communicat…

5) Also ignored by legacy media and aligned think tanks such as @ISDglobal is this statement from a senior PCW official:

6) Latest analysis of key issues surrounding the deaths of the 43 civilians at Douma can be read here and a fuller report is forthcoming: syriapropagandamedia.org/1200-2

7) More widely work published at @Rootclaim by @CL4Syr and @MichaKobs highlights the evidence now available showing the 2013 alleged Ghouta attack was launched from opposition positions: their analysis is yet to be refuted: rootclaim-media.s3.amazonaws.com/syria2013evide…

8) and a short video of key issues in their report can be viewed here:

9) A new article regarding the @opcw issue from former UN ass. secretary general Hans von Sponeck can be read here: timhayward.wordpress.com/2022/06/19/che…

10) Meanwhile @aaronjmate's excellent and detailed work based on the @opcw leaks can be found here: thegrayzone.com/?s=OPCW

11) None of these issues have yet been successfully challenged or indeed refuted. Instead, organisations such as @ISDglobal have sought to portray issues raised by @opcw scientists and others as conspiracies or Russian disinformation but without interrogating *any* of the them.

12) It should go without saying that such an approach is irrational and fails to meet normal scholarly standards of debate and analysis. More seriously, the smearing of those raising legitimate questions prevents the truth about how these civilians died from being known:

13) The use of *deeply* problematic terms such as 'conspiracy theory' and the presumption that questions or claims that contradict US/UK official narratives must be 'disinformation', Russian or otherwise, reflect a wider malaise in our democracies. propagandainfocus.com/the-conspiracy…

14) Rational debate and healthy dissent has given way to smearing, censorship and, as we see with Julian Assange, aggressive and brutal suppression of truth tellers. @ISDglobal, @guardian, @TownsendMark and @jasmineelgamal are contributing to that malaise.

15) As ever, if they wish to engage with the substance of the issues raised by @opcw scientists and others, they are welcome to contact me and a rational discussion can then ensue. @Tim_Hayward_ @McCormack_Tara @Tracking_Power @ClarkeMicah