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In July 2019, Hidden Syria’s Phillip Watson published an investigation looking into two alleged chemical attacks in Syria’s Aleppo in November 2016.
It specifically looked into the interesting “anomaly” of one and the same chlorine cylinder being used in two separate alleged chemical attacks 24 hours apart.
It all began when Watson looked into a report by Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, who used an image of an alleged chlorine cylinder from an alleged attack in December 2016 to claim that another attack had been carried out in March 2017.
The original photo and claim for the December 2016 were written on Bellingcat itself, which stands to prove the integrity, professionalism and investigative skills of an individual who evidently failed to “investigate” what content his website had used earlier.
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Bellingcat’s Christiaan Triebert reported that the first incident had allegedly taken place in the Al-Bab Road District in Aleppo around 16:30 on November 20th, 2016.
“Incident 4: Al-Bab Road district
Location: Al-Bab road district near Al-Helwanyeh roundabout, Aleppo city
Date: November 20, 2016, around 16:30
Reported casualties: no information
Claimed chemical: chlorine gas
Alleged perpetrator: Syrian government”
One of the videos the author uses as evidence is from the Aleppo Media Center.
It’s supposed to show a man by the name of “Othman” who, according to Christiaan, “claims to be a lawyer and activist working for the Syrian Institute for Justice and Accountability”
Othman, having heard the alleged attack take place, rushed to the scene and did “the only logical thing” – took possession of the alleged chemical canister containing a deadly chemical agent.
He did so while being protected by a simple dust protector mask.
The individual, Othman, claims that he is a lawyer and that he is also an activist with the Syrian Institute for Justice and Accountability. He claimed that a helicopter dropped the alleged chlorine cylinder. He went to the location of impact to document the attack, and said he found a cylinder which is 1 meter in length and 25cm in width.
The back of the cylinder had evidently exploded, with a hole there of about 50 cm. A logo of the Al-Baha Company for Caustic Chlorine Industry (BCC) can be seen on the cylinder. There is also a warning written in English on the cylinder that it contains gas.
The Syrian Institute for Justice and Accountability for whom Othman is reportedly an activist were also on-site to record the impact location.
“Was this just another example of a random cylinder resting on a road minus impact crater and fragments? Or is the video suggesting the corner of the building was brought down by this cylinder? It is not clear and so far none of my searches have thrown up any mention of this alleged attack that didn’t draw a path back to Bellingcat and Christiaan’s article,” Watson concluded.
Bellingcat then geolocated the video. And they did all that without a shred of evidence that a chemical attack had even taken place.
The investigation suggested that the cylinder had been thrown from a helicopter, hit the corner of a building and broken it.
However, Watson by using Google Earth discovered that the corner of the building was already broken in imagery from June 21st 2016, not 5 months later on November 20th, 2016 when Bellingcat suggested it happened.
Watson provided a screenshot of the geolocation by Bellingcat, and his own showing where the building was.
The entire video and the situation of the cylinder just makes little sense.
“If that is not what is being implied, then what is? That the cylinder just came to rest at that location with no impact crater or other shrapnel? It picked an interesting place to land; right beside a damaged building.”
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A similar incident took place on January 22nd, 2018 in Douma. The cylinder magically appeared on the rooftop of a building, no impact crater or anything to suggest that it fell from anywhere, rather than being placed.
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Some other discrepancies further include that the videos published by the Aleppo Media Center and the Syrian Institute for Justice and Accountability show the exact same cylinder.
The left side of the photo shows the cylinder in the Aleppo Media Center (AMC) video, the right side the one from the Syrian Institute for Justice and Accountability (SIJA).
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The timeline is as follows:
- The alleged attack took place on November 20th, 2016 at 16:30;
- On November 22nd, SIJA published the video of the alleged impact site;
- On November 23rd, AMC uploaded the video of the alleged SIJA activist Othman discussing the cylinder;
Then, on the very next day, November 24th 2016, a video published by SIJA shows the cylinder at a different location, at Al-Jisr.
Here are photographs of stills from “all three” cylinders, showing that they are, in fact, just one and the same.
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The claims of chlorine attacks in Aleppo on the 20 November 2016 were also noted by the OPCW in a report dated 27 December 2016. This wasn’t simply a case of some random claim that didn’t make it into the news. These were allegations that were taken seriously.
As it has been made apparent time and again, Bellingcat and others frequently and unabashedly attempt to fit the evidence to the narrative, and not the other way around.
In late November 2019, Dilyana Gaytandzhieva also rebuked allegations made by Bellingcat regarding her investigative work and integrity. She responded in an article that provided ample evidence for all her claims. As for an investigation to be an adequate one, duly presented and proven evidence needs to be provided, and then a hypothesis (a narrative) is constructed based on what has been found, rather than Bellingcat’s practice of establishing the narrative and then attempting to fit reality to it.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
It is same as I still see same undamaged and unused first stage of Tochka missile – last time at refugee camp
This stage have clearly documented (by jihadists ownself) uncoupled electical connections same as unharmed connecting flange into transition/electronics stage with all its screws at their place but that transition/electronics stage is “somehow mysteriously missing”
In fact this first stage must be captured in some weapon depot stage in first phases of war and now is used for propaganda purposes as “Assad cruelty evidence”
I just replied to another comment above, saying how there was a canister, from Ukraine, with English writing, found in Syria a while back. As soon as I read your comment, with regards the Tochka Missile, it so reminded me of Ukraine 2014. Didn’t the same crowd involved in Ukraine and Syria use Tochka Missiles on the civilians of Donetsk, as well?
Ukrainian Troops Moving Tochka-U Missile Launchers to Donetsk – Militia… https://sputniknews.com/world/20140802191634648-Ukrainian-Troops-Moving-Tochka-U-Missile-Launchers-to-Donetsk–/
Even CNN reported the use of the Tochka Balistic Missiles that the Ukraine Government was more than happy to use on it’s people in the East. Ironic they are also over in Syria and how did they get there?
UPDATED: CNN 2014/07/29 Ballistic missiles used by pro-Kiev forces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPMckOBfw4Q
Bellingcat will get it in the end. They are playing with lives and nothing gets as dangerous as that.
Who, besides the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds Belincat?
……………………………………..
Bellingcat or Guard Dog for the Establishment?
***My response to the ‘Bellingcat’ attempt to spin away the devastating implications of the OPCW Douma Leak.***
‘…Bellingcat or Guard Dog for the Establishment?
***My response to the ‘Bellingcat’ attempt to spin away the devastating implications of the OPCW Douma Leak.***
The National Endowment for Democracy (see below)
https://www.ned.org/
Open Society Foundations
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/who-we-are
Porticus
https://www.porticus.com/en/home
Adessium
https://www.adessium.org/
Pax for Peace
https://www.paxforpeace.nl/
The Dutch Postcode Lottery
Note that the National Endowment for Democracy is a largely state-sponsored arm of the United States government. It says (on its own website) that its continued funding ‘is dependent on the continued support of the White House and Congress’.
Whatever one might think of the organisations listed above, it is hard under these circumstances to view Bellingcat as being wholly independent of parties interested in the outcome of the investigation into Douma. I would not bother much with this were it not that those who seek to draw attention from the OPCW leak are much given to making baseless accusations that I am an Assad apologist ( a claim I have shown in detail here
https://dailym.ai/2pLqlsx
to be garbage) or in some way working to further the policy aims of Russia, whose leader I frequently describe as a sinister tyrant. I defy them to produce one tenth of an ounce of evidence for these smears. By contrast, Bellingcat quite openly acknowledges the receipt of funds from an organisation which is itself openly supported by the United States government. I cannot see how it is wrong for me to mention this …
https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2019/11/my-response-to-the-bellingcat-attempt-to-spin-away-the-devastating-implications-of-the-opcw-douma-leak-i-have.html
…………………………
Anybody remember how successful Bell Pottinger, a company set up by Margaret Thatcher’s Adviser the late Timothy Bell, who was given a life term peerage by Common Purpose Member Tony Blair, being given over $500,000 to spin the Iraq War.
Why would the Pentagon, back in 2003 give Margaret Thatcher’s special adviser $500,000 to spin the Iraq War? Why would Tony Blair, who was accused of lying to Parliament, with regards Sadam and his WMDs give the late Timothy Bell a lifeterm peerage? Plus, remember, Timothy Bell’s brother David, set up Common Purpose. Ironically Tony Blair, like his John Major, David Cameron, Theresa May and Gordon Brown, were also Common Purpose Members and all desperate to have their own wars and bonuses that go with them.
Why are so many Common Purpose Members, including Alan Duncan, over in the UKs Foreign and Commonwealth Office, also members of Common Purpose and linked into Integrity Initiative/Statecraft/Open Information Policy (OIP), which were set up for ‘Counter Disinformation and Media Development Programme’.
Has Belingcat replaced Bell Pottinger, as the PR goons for war? Besides being run by a redundant Housing Officer, who used his redundancy funds on a Google Software Course, what else has Belingcat got to offer the world, well, besides ‘Disinformation’?
When his usefulness runs out his obituary will say he died falling off a balcony.
It would not be a shocker. :P
Does anybody remember another cannister that was found in Syria, but, originated from Ukraine, together with the use of English, to identify it?
Belingcat – UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Integrity Initiative – Open Policy Foundation – Statecraft – White Helmets – Syria – Urkaine and the list goes on. Funny how they link into each other. Together with Soros Open Society – NED – Burisma Holdings – Atlantic Council etc. etc. etc.
Now add the ShadowNet and ClearForce package to the list and we move into a perpetual state of “the Syria Hoax” / “the Russia Hoax” / “Ukraine Hoax” psyop and misinformation on a global scale, and dealing on 1,000 fronts, not just these three.
“They” are about to lower the hammer on us like never before, and like something most can’t even imagine. The new objective, other than continuing the globalists / NWO business as usual, is to counter the rapid rise of alternative media.
Trouble is they do not count for many of us keeping on top of it all. They are getting ready to lance the boil, but, which way will the toxins run?
Will be interesting to see the outcome of the UK election, and I seriously have no wish to vote, but, then again I have no desire to stay in the EU. I wonder if Boris is delivering a White Elephant and the REMOANERS will get what they have demanded, one way or another? Funny how it runs parallel to Trump winning the US Presidential Election and all that went with it, from 2016 – today?
I have just been revisiting Ukraine videos, from back in 2014, which I used to share a lot.
Storm Front – Ukraine Crisis – What You’re Not Being Told… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWkfpGCAAuw
Nulandistan: 9 facts that prove the U.S. is behind Ukraine crisis… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufj5hqQ__A0
I’m not sure if it matters anymore (voting)… moreover, I am almost come to the firm conclusion that it has not mattered for perhaps 90 years now.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, I am pretty deep into that and have been spending quite a lot of hours in that rabbit hole for over 2 months now… the banks, private equity funds, members of Congress, State Department, DNC., CIA, Soros, etc. – the lid is going to come off of that very soon… as you know, it is already coming to a head.
I do find it interesting that you posted something from Stormfront considering all of the respective agencies / persons in just mentioned or alluded to have been backing the Ukraine NAZIs (Kiev, etc.) and using them to disrupt, and even overtake the pro-Russia Party of Regions.
These same NAZIs are the ones who are kiIIing the people of Donetsk and the global psyop being pushed by the CIA / GCHQ / State Department is that Russia is attacking Donbass.
Either way, I am not sure “we” are going to be able to weather what lies ahead unless 10 – 20 million of “us” from the U.S. and UK, figure out a way to effectively organize, with the help of a 3rd party state actor not in NATO, and come together for the sole purpose of taking down “the machine”.
As a collective (free people in the U.S. / Europe / elsewhere), the future has never looked more unsure, and even dire… despite whatever positives we can see in front of us at the moment.
The Storm Front video, I remember coming across it, quite early on in 2014, along with the full Nulandistan video and used to share them a lot. For some reason, when looking for Nulandistan 9, the Storm Front video popped up and it was nice to go back in time and check it out. When you google the Ukraine Far Right, many of the good old videos have been thrown out and I assumed the same might have happened to the Storm Front video. Dmitry Yarosh and his friend ‘Psycho Billy’ and wasn’t McCain sharing the stage with Yarosh, back in 2014, with the begging bowl doing a world tour?
I do believe it is all coming to a head, just not sure how the snakes head will fall. There again, have been hoping the boil would be lanced for the past 5 years. The only good thing is many more people are starting to wake up and slowly take notice.
Yes ma’am… we are… we must!
1000 ticks.
Bellingcat is just another intelligence sponsored media project, in this instance under rubric of of ‘citizen journalism’.
What else should I say..? History always repeats itself with’m AngloZioNazis & their investigations suck….
https://youtu.be/Rp6WuTSTyS8
Bellingcat is, by their own founders admission, almost entirely funded by the CIA.
Does any more really need to be said?
All the Western “think tanks” and “analytical” organizations essentially are propaganda mills.
They are all subsidized and reflect no independent thinking.
They provide “talking points” for corporate newspapers and broadcasters. Not investigations. Not facts.
The article points to a particularly slap-dash effort in this case.
However, a name like Bellingcat, or any of the other comparable outfits, should always warn that what follows can not be taken seriously.
To do so, is like taking the actor in the white lab coat on a television ad as a genuine scientist, instead of someone selling you a product.
Bellingcat is covertly associated with MI6.
Now, there’s a truly disinterested investigative body if ever there was one.