False Flag Fail: How Syrian Civilians Derailed White Helmet ‘Chemical’ Stunt in Eastern Ghouta

July 02, 2018, 21st Century Wire – Vanessa Beeley

“On the 6th of March, in Hamouriya, we decided to protest against Failaq Al Rahman and we raised the Syrian flag. We marched against the terrorist occupation. They (Failaq Al Rahman) and the White Helmets were preparing a chemical attack which they intended to blame on the Syrian Arab Army as they closed in on the militants. They were furious with us for our march and for raising the Syrian flag, because it ruined their plans” ~ Ibrahim Omar Toumeh, resident of Hamouriya, 45 years old. 

Some weeks after the liberation of Eastern Ghouta which had been occupied by a series of militant and extremist groups backed and armed by a variety of NATO-member-states, Gulf States and protected by Israel, I had the opportunity to interview civilians from all districts, both on the ground in Ghouta and in the nearby IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps. Camps that consisted of highly organised education centres for children, clean single-floor buildings that housed extended families, and that provided clean water, electricity, food and essential supplies to the thousands of temporary residents.

I met Ibrahim Omar Toumeh in Harjalleh camp. He had arrived from Hamouriya one week previously, with his entire family. He and his family were keen to talk about their experiences living under Failaq Al Rahman rule (Al Qaeda affiliate) in their neighborhood. The usual stories of deprivation, imprisonment, sectarian brutality were recounted. I was told that the White Helmets worked as “one hand” with the terrorist factions throughout Eastern Ghouta:

“White Helmets worked everywhere, they had points in all places – Harasta, Douma, Misrata, Otaya and they had centres in other sectors also alongside Failaq Al Rahman brigade (Nusra Front affiliate). They had points in Jobar also. Everywhere in Ghouta. They worked with terrorist groups like Jaish Al Islam, Failaq Al Rahman, Fair Al-Ummah (Dawn of the Nations).” ~ Mahmoud Al Khaled, resident of Hamouriya.

Toumeh described what he believed happened in Hamouriya on the 6th March 2018 and the days leading up to that date. He told me that at this time, the Syrian Arab Army were rapidly advancing towards Hamouriya and civilians were beginning to feel empowered and more able to protest the presence of Failaq Al Rahman and their associates, the White Helmets and other militant groups.

“On the 6th of March a major conference was due to be held in the UN. We always knew about these conferences because of the co-ordinators in Hamouriya that worked with people inside the UN. On the 4th and 5th of March, the White Helmets and the armed groups began to gather bodies in the hospital. They brought these bodies from everywhere, and they brought them to the  place where they would stage an attack. By the 5th, they had around 30 bodies in the hospital and the White Helmets started to take photographs.” ~ Ibrahim Toumeh

Watch this video of Hamouriya residents raising the Syrian flag on 6th March 2018:

https://vimeo.com/277874333

Toumeh continued:

On the 6th March, we knew the Syrian Arab Army was getting closer.  A group of us decided to march in the streets of Hamouriya and to raise the Syrian flag in solidarity with the Army. We knew the armed groups (Failaq Al Rahman) were betting on a western military intervention with reinforcements from the U.S base at Al Tanf. The armed groups told us that there were even ISIS terrorists from Deir Ezzor among these groups in Al Tanf.”

[EDIT: Investigative journalist, Elijah Magnier, had written about the US secret plans to divert militants from Al Tanf camp to reinforce the extremist groups in control of Eastern Ghouta, in his article: The US Secret Plan on Damascus Foiled – The Russian Role Before the US/UK/France Attack Revealed]

When I checked the 6th March in the UN calendar there had, indeed, been a high level discussion on Syria. “The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, attended a meeting today with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Turkey, hosted by the Russian Federation at its permanent mission in Geneva.”

Toumeh then told me:

“The armed groups were always telling us that the West would intervene and help them to conquer Damascus. After six years of their lies, we knew it was not going to happen. We were human shields for them, nothing more. We were fed up with their lies, so we raised the Syrian flag and we marched to tell them (Failaq Al Rahman) to leave Hamouriya. 

About an hour after we raised the flag, one of the head co-ordinators came to us with another person and he told us that we had ruined their plans. I asked why. They told me they had released “news” of a chemical attack the night before, saying 30 people had been killed. When we raised the flag around 3pm or 3.30pm the day after, we ruined it for them”

I asked Toumeh why he thought they said it was ruined, he smiled and then replied:

“They told me – ‘how can an area get hit by chemical weapons by the Syrian government and  then hours later residents in the same area, are raising the Syrian flag?’. They also told me we had ruined their communications with the UN and that there would be no intervention from Al Tanf after all. The main co-ordinator’s name was Abdulmueeh Hommus.

They wanted to present the “chemical attack” on the day the SAA entered Hamouriya, you see? The next day Failaq Al Rahman issued a Fatwa against all of us. All of us were sentenced to death. They brought one of their prisoners, they wrapped him in the Syrian flag and they shot him dead with three bullets to threaten us. We didnt care. We co-ordinated with the Army and they helped us to leave Hamouriya.”

The following video shows some of the Failaq Al Rahman reprisals against the civilian protestors in Hamouriya. WATCH:

Many reports on the SAA military campaign centering on Hamouriya confirm that the final liberation of this town was imminent. According to SouthFront’s war report on March 7th:

On March 6, the White Helments, a notorious organization operating in areas controlled by al-Qaeda-linked militants, reported that government forces had conducted a new chlorine gas attack in Eastern Ghouta allegedly injuring 30 people. It’s interesting to note that reports about alleged chemical attacks started appearing during a rapid advance by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), Ahrar al-Sham, Jaish al-Islam and Faylaq al-Rahman.

By March 7, SAA troops had liberated a large area, including farms near the towns of Misraba and Beit Sawa. The town of Hammouriyah had reportedly surrendered to the SAA and government troops had started entering it.” (Emphasis added)

The White Helmet twitter feed confirms their claim of a chlorine gas attack in Hamouriya on the 6th March:

Toumeh is not the only one to have spoken to me about this staged chemical attack.

 

The chemical attack was going to be staged to the East of the town in the direction of the Syrian Arab Army. The day before, the White Helmets started to bring bodies to the area, to the hospital. The media groups working with the armed groups also came. They started to film and photograph the bodies. There were many children among the dead. 

At this time all the medical centres were out of service. Only the White Helmets were bringing bodies from all over Hamouriya to this one centre so it would look as if they had been killed in this attack.

On the 6th March after we had marched and raised the flag, we were approached by some of the White Helmet members. They were very angry with us. They told us they wanted to force the West to intervene on their behalf but now their plan would not work and it was our fault.

This was the first time we saw them actually preparing a movie against our country. Usually they would make us go into the basement until they had finished filming an event.” 

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