French, Belgian Intel Officers Plan Chemical ‘Provocation’ in Idlib – Moscow

MOSCOW – Belgian and French intelligence officers have arrived in Syria’s Idlib to stage provocations with the use of chemical substances, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Center for Syrian Reconciliation said on Friday, according to Sputnik.

“To organize provocations, representatives of the French and Belgian secret services arrived in Idlib. Under their supervision, a meeting was held with the field commanders of the terrorist groups of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Hurras Al-Din, as well as with the representatives of the pseudo-humanitarian organization ‘White helmets’”, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin said at a news briefing, Sputnik reported.

At the meeting, the attendees discussed organization of staged film shoots, which would falsely depict Russia and Syria using chemical agents against civilians, according to the center.

“For participation in filming of scenes depicting the effects of the use of poisonous substances, payments were set at $100 per person. At the same time, it is possible that organizers used real toxic substances in order to achieve ‘authenticity’ of photo and video materials”, Kupchishin underlined, adding that refugees and families held by the terrorist groups could have been forced to take part in the staged shoots.

 At the same time, the Belgian special services have been filming the strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces at the arms depots of terrorists in order to use that footage in accusing Russia of using of chemical weapons, according to the center’s head.

“From 14 March to 27 March 2019, the representatives of the Belgian secret services recorded strikes on video, which the Russian Aerospace Forces targeted at terror groups’ arms depots and footholds of drones on the territory of the Idlib de-escalation zone, in order to subsequently present them as an ‘evidence’ of the use of chemical weapons”, Kupchishin stressed.

Meanwhile, a chlorine-based toxic chemical agent was transported from the northwestern Syrian city of Saraqib to several locations throughout Idlib under the supervision of French intelligence agents, Kupchishin said Friday.

“On 23 March, under the supervision of French intelligence [officers], canisters, made to look like they contained regular oxygen and household gas, but containing a poisonous, supposedly chlorine-based, substance, were transferred from Saraqib to the towns of Khan Sheikhoun, Maaret Horma and Kafer Zaita (all in the northeastern Idlib province)”, Kupchishin said.

Kupchishin stressed that the Russian reconciliation center called on the leaders of armed militant groups to abandon all armed provocations and to step onto the path toward a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the areas under their control.

H.M