Doveline Press

Amazingly CBS’ 60 Minutes ran a June 18 story on the non-governmental organization “White Helmets” (Syria Civil Defence). It described the group as strictly volunteers who help Syrians victimized by civil chaos, bombings, etc. in Syria.

But, there is another story inside this story the mainstream corporate media should have realized — unless they’re doing the establishment’s bidding? There are a lot of questions and information suggesting it is not as simple as the 60 Minutes portrayal. Articles posted on www.strategic-culture-org by Finian Cunningham, a former editor and writer for major news organizations, writing extensively about international affairs, and Peter Korzun, offer fuller insights into this group:

•The organizer of this group is a former military intelligence officer, now, private security consultant in “rebel” controlled Syria;

•The group receives government funds from the U.S., UK, Canada, Germany and Japan; the U.S. $23 million (2013-2016) flows from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); the latter entity has been used as “a cover for covert CIA activities;”

•The entity only provides support to Syrians “in areas controlled by the violent opposition,” but, not those who are hurt from terrorists’ attacks in the government-controlled areas;

•While the group claims not to be armed, it has been reported that photographs document members carrying arms and also “celebrating terrorist group military successes;”

•The White Helmets reportedly post false/fake photos as efforts to blame the Syrian military for targeting civilians and casualties thereto and reportedly released videos/images to the Western media from the location of the April 4 alleged chemical attack; they have also been accused of producing fake photos to blame the Russian military for actions it did not carry out;

•An investigative story by researcher and reporter Vanessa Beeley exposes one of the leaders of the group as an arms trader, supplying terrorists with arms.

Most stunning, articles about the White Helmets clearly state that it is “nothing else but an elaborate deception” and “a tool used by Western spy agencies to denigrate Russia and everyone who does not support the terrorists in their effort to overthrow the Syria’s legitimate government.”

Is this the best the major media can do in reporting to its viewers?

Deborah K. Smarth

MANALAPAN

President Donald Trump’s regional “peace” summit to fight terrorism with Saudi Arabia insults Americans’ intelligence. A weapons deal brokered by Trump amounting to more than $300 billion over a 10-year period is not a tool of “peace” in the region. Sen. Rand Paul should be thanked for introducing a “resolution of disapproval” motion that will force the U.S. Senate to vote on the arms deal within the next 30 days. Americans should flood the Senate phone lines to support Paul’s efforts.

The Saudi connection to 9/11 cannot be erased. Fifteen of the hijackers were Saudis. Besides being the world’s leading funders of terrorist activity and extremism, Saudi Arabia is the most flagrant violator of human rights, beheading and killing protesters and treating women unequally. According to a published Institute for Peace and Prosperity article, “The extreme Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam embraced by the Saudis as a state religion is near indistinguishable from the ideology of ISIS … or any of those terror organizations.”

The Saudis — with the U.S. providing bombs and other military support in Yemen — have committed war crimes. The United Nations acknowledges as a result of Saudi air, land and sea blockade, there is a famine crisis in Yemen. And the Trump administration and its spokespersons demonize Iran and Syria?

Iran just conducted an open and fair national election with moderates taking power, compared to a Saudi dictatorship. Iran has expended sizeable resources and blood in fighting Salafi-Jihadist terrorism. The Syrian government has been fighting the rebels who created civil chaos in its country, including ISIS/al-Qaeda. Concerning the recent sarin attack in Syria, even Theodore Postol, MIT professor emeritus of science and technology, after examining the material presented by the Trump administration, questions the administration’s assumptions that Syria was responsible.

Trump needs to dismantle and replace his neoconservative advisers, who are leading him down the wrong path of war.

Deborah K. Smarth

Manalapan