Wladimir

.@HaraldDoornbos says you cannot get correct information through internet, since its filtered by rebel spokespersons. Idea of rebels was lets not talk about ISIS/Nusra extremists, first deal with Assad, and later with extremists... we were fooled there were no extremists/radicals

.@HaraldDoornbos says town of Kafranbel that was seen as controlled by moderate opposition, symbol for revolution, was under control of Nusra and full with black flags, after his contacts visited the town. 'opposition makes propaganda, pro-Assad people make propaganda..'

.@ThomasVLinge says Dutch supported Kurds with air strikes, but not weapons [aid] as result of Turkish opposition. After that only armed rebels were left to support.

.@PieterOmtzigt asks @ThomasVLinge how you can analyse/understand if groups are moderate or not, from a distance... you talk to commanders or how?

.@ThomasVLinge says Dutch support for rebel groups violated war law/criteria for supporting these groups... they attacked Sheikh Maqsoud and killed dozens or hundreds of civilians, children Also #Afrin was cleansed. People were driven out of their homes and cannot go back

.@HaraldDoornbos says in practice Dutch programs strengthened Turkish position in N Syria, Jihadists in Aleppo/Idlib, while weakening YPG and Syrian army

.@SadetKarabulut asks @HaraldDoornbos if support for so-called moderate groups resulted in supporting Turkish policy in Syria, which led to Turkish invasion in #Afrin.

.@HaraldDoornbos basically says those experts that did not visit Syria but did everything from their laptops cannot say much on this subject since they didn't visit Syria, so couldnt assess the risks of supporting these groups.

.@HaraldDoornbos people were afraid to visit these areas.

.@HaraldDoornbos the threat was kidnapping not being bombed, thats we didnt go Syria. But then we support these groups with million dollars, and then we showed those groups as moderate, and we can do business with them... while

.@HaraldDoornbos for people its abstract Syria, but for me not... you can be almost kidnapped or executed...

.@HaraldDoornbos I think some people that observe Syria from a distance and internet, and that look for URLs that support your vision/confirm your idea. ... if you are go on the ground, you see huge difference. in 2013 there were no more territories, in 2015 start program...

.@HaraldDoornbos Thomas fantastic work, good. People sit behind their laptop, nobody goes there. Lot of speakers later , nobody visited. Dutch diplomats never visited Syria, why not?

.@HaraldDoornbos says was impossible to support moderate groups in 2015... there were moderate groups in 2012-(2013?). He said even billions of dollars would not save the uprising in 2015 from extremist groups.

.@ThomasVLinge in their houses #Afrin

.@ThomasVLinge says Dutch backed groups Shamiya & Murad joined #Afrin offensive attacked YPG and Arab groups that were also part FSA. They were involved in looting, ethnic cleansing of Afrin, thousands people were displaced, and Kurdish civilians suddenly found refugees ...

.@ThomasVLinge says Shamiya/Murad other groups attacked neutral Kurdish neighbourhood Sheikh Maqsoud in past [2016 ???)], in which many civilians were killed, incl children

.@ThomasVLinge says Shamiya and other Turkish-backed groups fought against ISIS in Jarabulus, Marea, Bab.. But Shamiya and Sultan Murad did carry out war crimes: kidnapping, plundering, etc...