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Disinfo: The "White Helmets" are preparing new provocations in Syria

Summary

The “White Helmets”, together with the terrorists Dzhebhat an-Nusra, are preparing another provocation using chemical weapons in the province of Idlib. The main goal, as in previous cases, is to blame the Syrian army to discredit officials in Damascus.

Disproof

No evidence given. This is also a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative of crimes and hoaxes perpetrated by the White Helmets. Pro-Kremlin disinformation has claimed that both the 2017 attack in Khan Sheikhoun and 2018 in Douma were faked. A UN-OPCW Joint Investigation found Syria’s Government responsible for last year’s attack in Khan Sheikhoun. On 10th of April 2018, Russia vetoed a U.S.-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that would have created a new inquiry to ascertain responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in Syria. In June 2018, the OPCW members granted it power to assign blame for chemical attacks. Similar disinformation cases here and here.

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vesti.ru (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 148
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 30/04/2019
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Syria
  • Keywords: International, White Helmets, Chemical weapons/attack, Syrian War
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Europe shows double standards in criticism of Russian and Ukrainian elections

European circles consider that if Putin wins in Russia with such a [high] score, it is a threat to democracy, that it is an authoritarian regime, that there is a falsification in vote counting. But when a candidate wins with such a score in a country that matches the interests of the United States and Europe, everyone finds it normal. Macron has invented an explanation of style: do not compare, the system in your state is different. Everything is transparent. Everything is perfect. It’s two weights, two measures.

Apr 29, 2019
Disproof

The best known intergovernmental election observations body, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has several criteria of transparency of the elections. The election day and the final result is only one of them. For example, the equal access to the media is monitored by the long-term observation mission. According to these criteria, in its preliminary findings OSCE resumes: "The 2019 presidential election in Ukraine was competitive and held with respect for fundamental freedoms. The orderly transfer of power should offer the opportunity for strengthening democratic institutions and their accountability, although the campaign for both rounds lacked genuine discussion of issues of public concern". As for Russia, OSCE concluded that “the 18 March 2018 presidential election took place in an overly controlled legal and political environment marked by continued pressure on critical voices, while the CEC administered the election efficiently and openly". No evidence given that Ukraine "matches the American and European interest". It is a recurring disinformation narrative - see previous examples here, here, here and here.

Russian company Rosneft is an object of western defamatory campaign for its successes

On 23 April 2019 Reuters introduced amendments into its article that was published a few days earlier. It initially stated that Venezuela bypasses US sanctions on oil exports thanks cooperation with the Russian oil company Rosneft. The amendments followed a very critical Rosneft reaction to Reuters’ article. Nobody was surprised by this Rosneft-related defamatory publication because Reuters is regularly exposed on reporting fakes. In the last years even the most authoritative western media and political forces lost their respectability and reputation. When it comes to Russian gas giant Gazprom, it has built on Soviet successes in the gas sector. The company is a well-known devil for the West. Rosneft is a different story because a series of big Russian successes in the oil sector is a recent phenomenon. A few years ago Moscow began taking control over the world oil market from the west. It hijacked OPEC from Washington by reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia behind the US’s back. Therefore Rosneft is manifestation of a new Russia, which is cunning, sneaky and developing tricky schemes with the so called ‘pariah’ states (Iran, Venezuela, Syria) to the detriment of Western economic and political interests. Western hatred towards Rosneft translates into creation of an infernal image of Rosneft and blaming the company for any sins or crimes, and Reuters’ publication perfectly fits into this trend.

Apr 29, 2019
Disproof

This message is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Western anti-Russian activities, in this case activities by Western media directed against Russian oil giant Rosneft. The mentioned Reuters publication was indeed corrected and an editorial note said Reuters "could not determine payments were made under the proposed arrangement.” It also removed a reference to Evrofinance Mosnarbank and clarified that “experts see no violation of sanctions.” In a press release on 19 April 2019, Rosneft said "Reuters stopped its activities as information agency and media outlets" and accused Reuters in "systematic spread of disinformation" to damage Russia economy and state. It also said Rosneft plans to turn to law enforcement agencies "to prevent the pseudo-agency's illegal activities in Russia." While acknowledging initial Reuters erroneous reporting, the allegations about regular fakes by Reuters are ungrounded exaggeration and claims about Western anti-Rosneft campaign amount to conspiracy. Authoritative western media do not run coordinated campaigns against specific Russian companies and are not dictated by western political powers. A high degree of media freedom in Western countries is reflected in the top ranks that Western countries occupy in respective world rankings including World Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders.

Western media have a list of individuals and organisations to target with defamatory campaigns

The Western media have a list of individuals and organisations against whom they run defamatory campaigns, disregarding basic rules and standards of journalist ethics. The list includes Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al-Assad, Victor Orban, the Alternative for Germany, Rosneft, and others.

Apr 29, 2019
Disproof

This conspiracy is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about Western media outlets as subservient to Western political elites.

Reputable western media do not run coordinated campaigns against specific individuals or organisations on someone's orders. A high degree of media freedom in Western countries is reflected in the top ranks these countries occupy in respective world rankings including the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters without Borders.