DISINFO: The White Helmets and terrorists are preparing a chemical attack in Syria's Idlib
SUMMARY
The Al-Nusra Front terrorist group is amassing chemicals in the Idlib de-escalation zone in Syria's north in order to use them against the civilian population, according to a reliable source. The terrorists are planning to carry out the provocation in the form of time-tested false-flag chemical attacks with the help of the White Helmets.
The attack is scheduled to take place ahead of a crucial moment for Syria – the presidential election on 26 May.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin conspiracy theory painting the White Helmets as terrorists and shifting blame for chemical attacks in Syria away from Damascus.
The claim is made without evidence and follows an established pattern of unsubstantiated accusations regarding the White Helmets' complicity in chemical attacks in Syria. Available evidence on such attacks has yet to link a single incident to any other party than 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. For more information about the importance of the White Helmets in pro-Kremlin disinformation regarding the Syrian war, see here, here, and here.
A majority of such 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 for our analysis of how the Kremlin uses conspiracy theories to whitewash Assad's record of chemical warfare.