Nicholas A Heras

I cannot think of any more neutral Syrian organization than the White Helmets. What is the "better test" in your opinion?

1-Hello Kenan. I hope you are well. Obviously, constituent groups within the White Helmets organization do heroic work. Members of the White Helmets have answered the call and delivered desperately needed disaster relief where these emergency services are rare or totally absent.

2-Unfortunately in the case of Afrin there's evidence that members of the White Helmets participated in supporting combat operations as part of Olive Branch and sine then support an administration there credibly linked to ethnic+sectarian persecution and crimes against civilians.

3-Olive Branch, and members of the White Helmets role in supporting it, both before and after active combat operations, is highly controversial for the SDF, and for those who are from N/E Syria who are concerned with the plight of the hundreds of thousands displaced from there.

4-Beyond Afrin, the role of the White Helmets in N/E Syria is likely not necessary because there are multiple local NGOs (like Heyva Sor and the Early Recovery Teams) and administrative bodies tied to the Self Administration Authority, that do the work that the White Helmets do.

5-Perhaps some of these local recovery groups in N/E Syria could strike a deal to be "re-branded" as part of the White Helmets organization which could also potentially facilitate better international media attention on the work that these groups do to stabilize Syria after ISIS.

6-Testing the "inclusivity" of governance in the SDF zone, an emerging US priority (and a big one in DC), is a political project. As you said, White Helmets are supposed to be neutral. Afrin belies this. Regardless, in that context, there's no need for White Helmets in N/E Syria.

1) I disagree. White Helmets used to operate in Afrin prior to Turkey's intervention. PYD shut down their center and arrested the Afrin center's leader (who by the way, was Kurdish). So does their previous work there make them pro-YPG? Does their work in Idlib make them pro-HTS?

The White Helmets are local civilians,who help communities to re-establish their life, and help people stuck under rubble, regardless of their background. PS: Would you explain how the WH helped that operations? While they went their months following it!! (check your info)

So European anarchists are fine but Syrians fleeing Assad butchery no

Hundreds of thousands of syrian IDPs have taken refuge in SDF areas, find a different point to prove

Ok so white helmets out but European anarchists in ..

Are we talking about white helmets or syrians fleeing war? You’re already getting yourself confused here buddy

Not mutually exclusive

I thought the point of the white helmets was that they don’t flee the bombing

Many will be IDP themselves n working volunteering as white helmets + of course with extended families hence why not mutually exclusive still confused?

Ah so you’re saying that they’re the only IDPs that matter, gotcha. That’s why you don’t think those already in the northeast matter. Sad!