According to the White Helmets NGO, an airstrike by Syrian and Russian warplanes hit a funeral in the Syrian city of Aleppo over the weekend, killing at least 24 mourners and wounding 30 others. This was the latest in a string of airstrikes against civilians across Aleppo.
Indeed, the funeral itself was organized to mourn the slaying of 15 civilians from a single family who were killed in a previous airstrike, on Thursday, which destroyed the family home. That strike’s victims included at least 11 children.
Witnesses reported that attendees at the funeral scrambled when the first bombs hit, and were quickly caught up in follow-on strikes, adding to the large number of casualties. An ambulance that arrived after the first bombing was also destroyed in the subsequent strikes.
Since February, when al-Qaeda’s Nusra Front pushed into Aleppo, they and the Syrian military have been trading strikes back and forth over the contested city, which was once the financial and industrial capital of the nation. The casualties in these strikes have been overwhelming civilian on both sides, with the population stuck in various residential neighborhoods controlled by one faction or the other and constantly facing bombardment by the other side, along with attempted sieges.
Over the past several days, Syrian government airstrikes have dominated the scene, killing 62 civilians since Thursday, but this sort of momentum tends to change wildly and without notice, meaning at any moment it could be the government districts back under heavy artillery shelling.
There seems to be a lot of doubt about the “White Helmets“ “NGO.”
See: http://21stcenturywire.com/2016/06/21/who-are-the-syria-white-helmets/
Here is a quote therefrom:
“This is an alleged “non-governmental” organisation, the definition of an NGO, that thus far has received funding from at least three major NATO governments, including $23 million from the US Government and $29 million (£19.7 million) from the UK Government, $4.5 million (€4 million) from the Dutch Government. In addition, it receives material assistance and training funded and run by a variety of other EU Nations.”
The US govt’s stated goal is to overthrow Assad. It is funding White Helmets as a State Dept. spokesman admits in a reply to a reporter in this damning video:
White Helmets???
I wish the people who are always saying somethings not credible would get off they’re ass and go see for themselves…If you have nothing to prove or back up what you are saying shut your ass up or take your ass to Aleppo and see for yourselves…With all the people dying in Syria everyday why and the Hell would they have to lie?It’s not like anybody’s going to do anything about it anyway…People need to realize this is reality people are dying there’s a war going on in Syria but hey you probably don’t believe me so take your dumb ass over there and see for yourself…USA
How much time have you spent in Aleppo? Got photos?
You’re right I don’t see how we can manage anything but a shaky ceasefire this is a religious war it’s like both superpowers are playing chess with a set of Shiite and Sunni pieces…makes me sick…people are dying and it’s all about influence in a region we’re not even from…SAD…
Didn’t you know, we’re the only superpower, just ask us.
And only the ones we disagree with hit civilian targets, either intentionally or unintentionally?
Many of the people who are exposing the White Helmets have been to Syria. If you look at one of the videos in the links I posted above, you will see the State Dept spokesman admit that we have been funding the White Helmets to the tune of $23 milliin at least as have our “allies.” Then it turns out that the leader of White Helmets was that same week unable to enter the US for a White Helmest soiree (see the video) apparently because he was on a terrorist list. State forgot to scrub the list in due time. What a tangled web they weave.
But there are competing narratives here and our ability to see the truth at such a distance through mounds of govt and neocon propaganda is virtually nil.
The solution as Ron Paul says is to mind our own business and stop trying to take down Assad. Basing a decision on the White Helmets or any other newborn group funded by the US is nuts.
“According to the White Helmets NGO ……… ”
The rest of the article is invalidated by the opening.
The White Helmets are a British run propaganda front or Al Qaeda.
The rest of the article is not “invalidated” by the opening. The rest of the article is “informed” by the opening. If you consider White Helmets a reliable source, you may believe what they say. If you don’t, you may not. Either way, you know they said it.
How dull.
..about as objective as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.