DISINFO: White Helmets preparing new chemical provocations in Syria
SUMMARY
According to information made available by the Syrian government, the White Helmets and terrorists are jointly preparing new chemical provocations in Syria.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory painting the White Helmets as terrorists and shifting blame for chemical attacks in Syria away from the Assad regime. The White Helmets are a staple topic of pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives on the Syrian civil war, having already been accused of numerous other provocations and war crimes including organ trafficking; aiding terrorist organizations; staging and/or perpetrating chemical attacks, sometimes with the help of Western intelligence agencies. A majority of these claims are unburdened by evidence and often rely on meaningless formulations such as "according to information provided by X," "there are reasons to assume," and so forth. See here on the importance of White Helmets in Russian and Syrian disinformation.