Whelan was initially part of the OPCW’s Fact Finding Mission (FFM) and contributed to its interim report, which he signed off on after originally expressing concerns. But Whelan then left the OPCW. A full seven months would pass before the investigation was completed, a period in which the OPCW says the bulk of the investigatory work was conducted. That later work was, the OPCW said, highly protected and not something Whelan had access to. Whelan also did not go on site in Douma as he had not received the relevant training to do so, the OPCW has stated. 

An independent investigation backed up this version of events and the head of the OPCW described claims made by Whelan and Ian Henderson — another OPCW employee who was not part of the core FFM mission but alleged details had been suppressed in the final report — as “erroneous, uninformed and wrong.”    

The head of the OPCW also noted that Whelan had, after leaving the organisation, referred former colleagues to one of the WGSPM briefing notes which posited a “managed massacre” had taken place at Douma. Whelan referred to this article as “very interesting and insightful”.

Despite this, von Sponeck said: “What swayed me, deeply, moved me and made me very upset is when I read the two interim reports, and when I read the fact-finding mission report that omitted reference to the fact that there were disagreements in the team. That made me very worried and [ask] do I need to know more?”

Von Sponeck was unaware that Whelan had agreed, in writing, with the interim report.

Whelan also declined to answer on whether he received money from Wikileaks as a result of his disclosure of OPCW documents when contacted by a BBC Radio documentary earlier this year. He also did not respond to Bellingcat requests for comment on the same subject last year. Wikileaks announced the offer on Twitter after the attack. Von Sponeck was also unaware of this. 

Von Sponeck pointed to the fact that several former members of the OPCW had signed as a reason to trust the contents of the statement. Yet all of these individuals had, as far as Bellingcat can tell, left the OPCW by the time it started its investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Syria. 

More on Berlin21 involvement here.

- https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/14/berlin-group-21-ivans-emails-...

Signatories: https://berlingroup21.org/

Lessee, van Sponek noted he knew no details about Douma, was just "concerned". Who else am I not convinced by? Chomsky, Ellsberg, Roger Waters, WikiLeaks (they posted a $100k award for proof against Douma, like duh), Tulsi Gabbard, Ray McGovern, Ted Postol, Oliver Stone, Lawrence Wilkerson. How many of these are "concerned" as well?

José Bustani, Ambassador of Brazil, first Director General of the OPCW and former Ambassador to the United Kingdom and France.

Professor Noam Chomsky, Laureate Professor U. of Arizona and Institute Professor (em), MIT.

Andrew Cockburn, Washington editor, Harper’s Magazine.

Daniel Ellsberg, PERI Distinguished Research Fellow, UMass Amherst. Former Defense and State Department official. Former official of Defense Department (GS-18) and State Department (FSR-1).

Professor Richard Falk, Professor of International Law Emeritus, Princeton University.

Tulsi Gabbard, former Presidential candidate and Member of the US House of Representatives (2013-2021)

Professor Dr. Ulrich Gottstein, on behalf of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW-Germany).

Katharine Gun, former GCHQ (UKGOV), whistleblower.

Denis J. Halliday, UN Assistant Secretary-General (1994-98).

Professor Pervez Houdbhoy, Quaid-e-Azam University and ex Pugwash.

Kristinn Hrafnnson, Editor in Chief, Wikileaks.

Dr. Sabine Krüger, Analytical Chemist, Former OPCW Inspector 1997-2009.

Annie Machon, former MI5 Officer, UK Security Services.

Ray McGovern, ex-CIA Presidential Briefer; co-founder, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.

Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East, National Intelligence Council (rtd); member, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity and Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence.

Professor Götz Neuneck, Pugwash Council and German Pugwash Chair.

Dirk van Niekerk, former OPCW Inspection Team Leader, Head of OPCW Special Mission to Iraq

John Pilger, Emmy and Bafta winning journalist and film maker.

Professor Theodore A. Postol, Professor Emeritus of Science, Technology, and National Security Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Antonius Roof, former OPCW Inspection Team Leader and Head Industry Inspections.

Professor John Avery Scales, Professor, Pugwash Council and Danish Pugwash Chair.

Hans von Sponeck, former UN Assistant Secretary General and UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator (Iraq).

Alan Steadman, Chemical Weapons Munitions Specialist, Former OPCW Inspection Team Leader and UNSCOM Inspector.

Jonathan Steele, journalist and author.

Roger Waters, Musician and Activist.

Lord West of Spithead, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff 2002-06.

Oliver Stone, Film Director, Producer and Writer.

Colonel (ret.) Lawrence B. Wilkerson, U.S. Army, Visiting Professor at William and Mary College and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell.