Alleged Chemical Attack, April 7, 2018

...the Syrian government allegedly launched a new chemical weapons attack in the surrounded and partially evacuated city of Douma.
 * Following on...
 * multiple explicit warnings by the Russian military that they are aware of US plans to stage chemical weapons attacks and use them as justification to bomb Damascus, and their willingness to answer this provocation by targeting not just the missiles but the ships that fire them
 * a completely moronic fairy tale about an attack on a British spy with an extravagant Russian nerve agent
 * an exceptionally fast and successful campaign of the SAA against the "rebel" pocket in the eastern Ghouta
 * a statement by Trump that the US military will be out of Syria "very soon", which apparently surprised the state department and pentagon establishment

7 April witnessed two alleged chemical attacks on Douma; as reported, an aerial chlorine attack in the afternoon sickened some and killed no one. Then at 7:30 to 9:00 PM (accounts differ), a helicopter barrel bomb attack with chlorine and/or sarin (accounts and details vary). This allegedly killed at least 85 civilians, by some reports 180 or more (Zaher Sahloul), with 700-1000 said to be affected and death toll expected to climb.

The development storms the "western" media, triggering outraged-sounding tweets by the US president. Unclaimed airstrikes on Syria's Tiyas or T-4 airbase follow, denied by the US, suspected by Israel or perhaps France.

ACLOS core member Adam Larson (Caustic Logic) has taken a first look at the story over there. Some 30-40 bodies were shown in one building alone, with most videos and photos being of about 20 bodies piled by the stairs in the basement, mostly women and children. So far the victims seem to be unidentified strangers, for the most part if not totally. They tend to be in grubby street clothes, but tend to have lost their shoes along the way. They have smoke-stained hands and unexplained injuries, including what seems like healing "raccoon eyes" suggesting skull fracture in the prior days. They don't look like normal chlorine or sarin victims, appearing livid (red) more than cyanotic (blue), lacking much for red eyes (a chlorine sign), and some but limited signs of SLUDGE syndrome. The 20 bodies and others seem to be piled and re-arranged like props, and probably exaggerated with "foaming at the mouth" special effects.

Nerve agent?

 * Syria attack: nerve agent experts race to smuggle bodies out of Douma - Martin Chulov, April 12, 2018
 * ''Corpses could provide vital clues for US technicians trying to establish which chemicals were used in the deadly bombing
 * U.S. officials: Blood samples show nerve agent, chlorine in Syria gas attack - NBC news, April 12, 2018

Video
YouTube playlist by Qoppa Q
 * Douma Chemical Massacre, 7 April 2018

Videos from Yaser Aldoumani:
 * Best video of the main massacre scene by Yaser Aldoumani
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TElceE3aLI
 * 1) again main scene, more footage
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajpjrYSOoYM
 * 2) from clinic (includes some absurd niqab hosing :)
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpwcV0sup_o
 * 3) NEW: massive morgue scene, many more victims!
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIyGJugmGaI
 * Douma City (logo): longer video of clinic scene
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNCIRYBhtVs
 * longer versions of upstairs scene
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl6h6fd0EKg
 * Comic relief: Salloum al-Abd & KS WhiteHelmets
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI9QLVDNhlQ
 * Qasioun shows victims in main location
 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LozZlXcYQ9c
 * Civil Defense pulls out dozens of children's bodies hours after chemical massacre of Douma - SMART News Agency April 8, 2018
 * White Helmets remove bodies from Douma ghost house.

Pro-Government videos

 * ANNA news, April 9, 2018
 * They visit Douma, interview soldiers. They are told that an offensive operation was conducted, without any gas masks. They say that chemical attack did not take place, and moreover would be impossible as they have been advancing
 * Almadar News, April 9, 2018
 * Russian military police vehicle arrives somewhere, nothing found.
 * BREAKING! There Has Been NO Chemical Attack in Douma - “Vesti” Correspondent Reports - Vesti News, April 10, 2018
 * Russian MoD Briefing: Syrian Eyewitnesses Reveal How Douma Provocation Was Made - Sputnik, April 13, 2018

Hostages

 * vanessa beeley @VanessaBeeley on Twitter, April 9, 2018 2:18 am
 * ''Thousands of kidnap victims are being released after 6 yrs in Jaish Al Islam ‘repentance’ prisons where they suffered horrific torture & abuse. Emotional scenes as first bus leaves liberated #Douma #EasternGhouta reunited with families in Damascus. Incredible 🇸🇾❤️

Witnesses

 * See /Witnesses

Russian Version
On April 13, Russian Defense ministry spokesperson Konashenkov gave a briefing to the press (video incl. English subtitles) about evidence they had gathered about the staging of the event, pointing at "London" as the organizers. As summarized by TASS:

On the MoD video, we are told (and see a brief, apparently consistent video fragment) on which the two Syrians point to themselves shown on the White Helmets video. We are told that a detailed version of this fragment will be given to journalists present at the briefing. The next day Iad Tawil published on twitter what looks like that promised material, with proper English subtitles. On April 16, Alexandr Shulgin introduced this "irrefutable evidence" to the executive council of the OPCW.


 * Sources
 * Lie Upon Lie - Lavrov Chronicles Timeline of Western Duplicity to Strike Against Syria - Vesti News, April 15, 2018 (video)
 * Moscow has ‘irrefutable’ evidence chem attack in Syria’s Douma was staged – Russia’s envoy to OPCW - RT, April 16, 2018

French Version
On April 14, the French Defense Ministry released a report on their "evidence" that the "Syrian regime" did it. Read by someone with rusty French knowledge, the broad line is: It is looking (by unnamed "French experts") at the "rebel"-provided videos and stories, finding they "don't look fabricated"; then trying to create a motive for Assad out of the situation in Douma at the time of the alleged attack, with the Army of Islam surrounded and on its last leg; then some vague claims about undeclared rests of the destroyed Syrian CW program; and then the usual "we know he did it because he did it before" stunt referring to last year's alleged attack in Khan Sheikhoun.

Analysis

 * Syria - Timelines Of 'Gas Attacks' Follow A Similar Scheme - Moon of Alabama, April 8, 2018
 * New Syrian Chemical Weapons Attack Being Reported By All The Usual Suspects - Caitlin Johnstone, April 8, 2018
 * Ghouta is Arabic for "Reichstag Fire", Publius Tacitus, Sic Semper Tyrannis, April 8, 2018
 * Another Jihadi defeat in Syria; another alleged chemical attack - Alexander Mercouris, The Duran, April 8, 2018
 * Eastern Ghouta and the miraculous chemical bombs - Human rights investigations, April 9, 2018
 * Douma Chemical Attack: Timeline of facts so far - OffGuardian, April 8, 2018