White Helmet Staged Rescue: Baby Aya File

Date of Incident: 20 February 2017

Date of Previous Report: 27 August, 2019

Date of Report: 30 September, 2019

Introduction

In my previous investigation into the “Baby Aya” story, I analysed the video of an alleged White Helmet rescue of a child named Aya. I stumbled across this story in a Twitter exchange with @Qoppa999 and immediately upon watching the video I spotted so many glaring oddities that I felt it required a closer look. I was immediately taken back at the lack of concern from ‘Aya’s mother’ in the video and how she quickly disappeared from view once she brought the rescuers to the building she claimed her baby was trapped under rumble at.

Her behaviour struck me as odd. As did her sudden disappearance. As did the choreographed camera shots. As did a baby being able to cry under rubble and not cough once.

Upon further analysis, I became concerned the sounds of crying may not have belonged in the video but were subsequently added after-the-fact. To be sure I asked a professional, independent, forensic analysis company to take a provisional look at the video and see if my theory held any water, as it were.

Recap

A quick recap on where we are so far:

It is claimed that a young girl named Aya was trapped under rubble after a building was bombed during a Syrian Army attack on Tishreen, Damascus on or around the 20 February 2017.

The child’s mother leaves the scene, and her buried baby, to go off and seek rescue workers. Going by the video she had to go downstairs and out into the street. Upon finding the rescue workers, who were at the ready with the camera already running, she then leads them back to the site where she claims her baby was buried.

The rescue team set about removing the rubble by hand until they located the baby. All the while the mother was nowhere to be seen or heard. One would imagine hysterical cries of worry from a concerned parent at this time.

After a short while, the baby is found and whisked off.

There was global media coverage of the event from the BBC to CNN who lamented narratives such as;

The dramatic rescue of a young girl trapped in the rubble of a bombed-out Syrian house

CNN

Syria crisis: Footage shows girl ‘Aya’ rescue

BBC

Due diligence and investigative measures employed? None. How far we’ve moved away from investigative journalism to stenography as the accepted mainstream form of journalism.

The Forensic Analysis:

Given the huge cost involved in such an analysis, I struggled initially to find a company that would give me an opinion before proceeding with the commission, but find one I did. For now, the name of that company is not relevant and given the sensitivity around this story, I will not divulge their identity pending a full commission and analysis report.

Why this company decided to provide me with a preliminary report was due to the fact evidence strongly suggests a dead child is being used for a staged rescue by the White Helmet group in Syria. Not wanting to believe they used a human child I must remain open to the possibility that a human-like doll was used in the event. I accept this is highly unlikely but I must remain open to the idea until an expert report is gathered from a pathologist.

Either way, doll or human, the event was staged and I now have evidence the crying was added to the video after-the-fact. Why would crying need to be added to a video of an alleged child rescue?

The company in question were dismayed at what they uncovered. So much so that they offered me the results of their preliminary analysis, as mentioned, before asking for money. I provide said results in the form of two slides:

The first one is the sound graph from the moment the crying is introduced at 00:46:

The forensic experts noted

The kid’s crying sound was heard for first time at 00:46 seconds, the noise floor sound has changed completely when the girl was crying.

You can see the sound spectrum change during this time with abrupt cuts (straight lines) before and after crying was introduced depicting overdubbing (editing).

Here is the cut from the video I took from the time the crying begins. Note the “baby’s mouth” is still covered in debris as she cries. No coughing. No spluttering.

Here is an image of 00:55. The “baby” began crying at 00:46. Her face still not visible.

The first moment the mouth became visible was at 01:01. The crying began at 00:46. Even now the mouth is closed and face, expressionless.

Here is a clip of the video, slowed down, when “Aya” is unearthed:

Next is a clip at normal speed when “Aya’s” face is exposed. Firstly note the audible sound between 4-5 secs. This is a result of sound editing.

You will note the fingers in the mouth, the non-responsiveness and the lack of clearing of the airways such as coughing, sneezing or gurgling.

What is critical about this segment is not just that the crying was added to the video after it was recorded but it was supposedly the crying that alerted the rescuers to the child’s whereabouts!

Next, I have taken that segment of the video and slowed it right down. I advise you all to watch it in its totality then decide if you think “Aya” is either alive or real. Watch as stones and rubble hit her face and mouth and yet she remains unresponsive.

The second slide is equally as interesting.

Here the experts note:

The crying sound was loud when the video was taken closer (to the baby) but strangely the voices of [the] person’s talking voice was low. The background noise suddenly missing.

I have added the segment of the video the analysis refers to:

Before moving on watch this 10-second segment of the video. This “baby” is supposed to be crying. No breathing. No coughing. No movements. Motionless.

Now here is that same clip slowed down to 25% of normal speed:

Forensic Analysis Conclusion

The conclusions of the forensic experts was this:

The audio doesn’t belong to the video for sure. We just did a pickup on some parts of the audio stream which had been clearly seen tampered/edited.

What this company did was take a preliminary analysis of the audio to see if they could conclude anything unusual before they priced me for the full analysis. This was due to the probability of the involvement of a child. They weren’t even aware of the context of the video until the preliminary report had been sent to me when they asked if I thought the full analysis could bring justice to this child, assuming it is a child?

My response was that I couldn’t promise it would but that I could promise I would do all in power to get the message out there.

Conclusion

I believe the case is very strong that this is a staged event by the White Helmet group. What makes it more concerning is if a dead human was being used as a prop. That possibility is the driving force behind my investigation into the incident.

The fact that this story also received global media coverage shows how investigative journalism has been replaced with narrative controlled stenography. The news is formed rather than reported. Had a journalist applied basic due diligence to this story they would have immediately detected oddities, as I did, and looked into the claim further. They have the resources to seek out audio forensics on such videos but instead, it’s left to open source investigators to do their jobs for them.

It’s clear from the videos I’ve supplied above that we are dealing with a non-responsive person or thing and the forensics analysis concludes the crying was added to the video further validating my conclusion this is a lifeless being/doll.

Given how well the staging appears to have been carried out to the casual onlooker (2.5 years later I am seemingly the first to pick up on it) it was still very badly carried out to an attuned eye and ear. It’s arguably possible this wasn’t the first or last such-like rescue given it certainly was not carried out by novices.

Doll or Human?

Very few people believe that “Aya” is a doll. However, in the absence of a pathologist’s report I must keep the option open of this being a human-like doll. Why I’m even entertaining the notion is that I don’t wish to believe the White Helmets used a dead child as a prop. That, and there are a few non-human like features I picked up on such as the right ear and hands.

If you’re a pathologist reading this report or know of one please put us in touch with each other if you feel they’d like to help answer this question in their professional capacity.

I have no doubt children are suffering awful atrocities in Syria day and daily and by all sides. I condemn all these acts equally no matter who carries them out. The difference here is that we are looking at potentially a dead child being buried for a staged rescue by a group that is funded and trained by the UK and US. This is supposed to be a rescue group saving lives. Not a group that takes dead kids and abuses them for publicity.

What next?

If you’ve read my original analysis then coupled with this update you should be in no doubt that this is a staged child rescue. What’s left to conclude is if it was indeed a child or a doll but either option is concerning as both the BBC and CNN bought this story hook, line and sinker.

But is it enough to leave this here or should we not try and have the matter highlighted to as global an audience as possible? After all, if that is a dead human baby, we owe that much to her. If it’s a doll, we owe that much to the truth.

If you just read this and move on you are potentially permitting this act to be perpetuated ad nauseam. Again, what if this is a human child? Burying a child to stage a rescue? Do we stand by and allow this to occur by a group that is funded from UK taxpayer pockets?

I’ve done the donkey work people. I’ve investigated this with the cost of sleepless nights, money and sanity. Everything is set in place. If you want the matter confirmed with expert analysis that can be presented to the world’s media as proof of an atrocity then we need to gather £2000. I’ve already said I will pitch in £250 to get things started.

I appreciate it’s a big ask and not everyone reading this will have even a few pounds to donate. Don’t feel any less for that but please forward the post on to others in the hope they can help raise the funds. £1 can make all the difference.

If we reach over and above the £2000 the rest will go towards a pathologist report that I’m working on obtaining. If I fail to gather the amount needed then I will continue to highlight the case and revisit the story again in the future.

I am going to take a day out and petition each of the 700+ people that follow me and request a £1 or £2 donation towards this report. Please don’t feel obliged or obligated. Everyone will get the same message. What’s driving me is that “Aya” could be a real child. That’s my motivation herein.

GoFundMe

I tried twice to set up a GoFundMe campaign and twice it was rejected. The reason was that my campaign highlighted “sensitive issues”. The buzzwords were either “Syria” or the “White Helmets”.

Just Giving Fund

I have set up a JustFundMe page in the hope that it won’t be shut down for the same reasons. I’ve learned that this “White Helmet” project has a powerful lobby behind it and I’m just one guy seeking the truth who won’t give up.

Here is the link to the fund page. Please give what you can or spread the word if times are tight. All transactions will be carried out transparently and openly and posted on my blog.

If I don’t meet the target I will try again in time.