Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media

The Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media (SPM) is a group of academics and others who support Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's claims that the Syrian White Helmets civil defence organisation has staged false flag attacks in order to trigger Western retaliation against the Syrian regime. The group was formed by environmental political theory professor Tim Hayward (political scientist) and former academic Piers Robinson. It has gained attention and criticism for disputing the veracity of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Civil War.

Views and activities

The SPM states that the 2018 Douma chemical attack was faked by the White Helmets civil defence organisation.[1] In early 2018, The Times newspaper ran a series of articles on Hayward and the SPM, in which it said the group spreads "disinformation" in support of the government of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War and "conspiracy theories promoted by Russia".[2][3][4] In response, the SPM said that its members have a shared interest in "investigating the 'information operations' (...) associated with the Syrian conflict" and stressed that "the Working Group does not take any position for or against the Syrian government."[5] The Times said that the group's members are "apologists for Assad".[6][7][8]

The work of the SPM working group on Douma was mentioned favourably by Alexander Shulgin, the Russian representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), in an address to the United Nations Security Council. Shulgin stated that the SPM's requests to the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW Fact Finding Mission in Syria were left unanswered.[9]

The SPM website states that the group was established to "facilitate research into the areas of organised persuasive communication (including propaganda and information operations) and media coverage, with respect to the 2011-present conflict in Syria including related topics".[10] The first publication of the SPM was titled Doubts about "Novichoks"; it questioned whether Russia's secret nerve agent programme ever existed.[2]

Members

Members of the SPM include environmental political theory professor Tim Hayward (political scientist), conspiracy theorist, activist and blogger Vanessa Beeley,[11] former academic Piers Robinson, sociologist David Miller, genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics professor Paul McKeigue, international relations lecturer Tara McCormack, and others.

See also

References
  1. "Mysterious death of White Helmets co-founder spotlights toxic propaganda". PBS NewsHour. 24 December 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  2. Georgie Keate, Dominic Kennedy, Krystina Shveda, Deborah Haynes (2018-04-14). "Apologists for Assad working in British universities". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-11-22.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  3. Blanchard, Georgie; Keate, Sam (28 May 2020). "To say Douma attack was staged is to enter an Orwellian world". The Times. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  4. Webster, Ben (2018-04-16). "Academics accused of speaking for Assad condemn Syria raids". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  5. "Working Group Response to Smears". Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  6. Haynes, Georgie Keate, Dominic Kennedy, Krystina Shveda, Deborah. "Apologists for Assad working in British universities". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  7. "Assad's Useful Idiots". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. Webster, Ben. "Academics accused of speaking for Assad condemn Syria raids". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  9. "Statement by the Permanent Representative of Russia to the OPCW Alexander Shulgin at an Arria-formula meeting of UNSC member states 'Implementation of UNSCR 2118: OPCW FFM Report on Douma'". Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  10. "About". Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media. 2018-01-25. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  11. York, Chris (28 February 2019). "A UK Thinktank That Examines Propaganda Just Recruited A Pro-Russian Propagandist". Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
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