麻豆社

鈥淚 went to meet with Assad to see what kind of access we might get.鈥� James is accused of a horrific crime.

When James Le Mesurier fell to his death in Turkey in 2019 he left behind a tangle of truths and lies. Mayday tells the extraordinary real story of the man who organised the White Helmets 鈥� rescuers who film themselves pulling survivors from bombed out buildings in rebel-held areas of Syria 鈥� and investigates claims that, far from being heroes, they are part of a very elaborate hoax. James Le Mesurier 鈥� his detractors say 鈥� was a British secret agent, pulling the strings. So when his body was found by worshippers on their way to morning prayers, there were a lot questions.

AMENDMENT: Sean Penn has confirmed that it was Eva Bartlett not Vanessa Beeley he met in Los Angeles. This does not change the story materially.

Produced, written and presented by: Chloe Hadjimatheou
Editor: Emma Rippon
Researcher: Tom Wright
Mixed by: Neil Churchill
Arabic translation and additional research: Vanessa Bowles, Abdul Kader Habak
Turkish researcher: Nevin Sungur
Narrative Consultant: John Yorke
Original music: Nick Mundy and Bu Kolthoum
Production Coordinator - Gemma Ashman

REFERENCES

鈥溾�橳he White Helmets鈥� wins Best Documentary Short.鈥� Oscars YouTube Channel, 03 April 2017

鈥淧resident Bashar al-Assad's opinion on White Helmet's Oscar鈥� from Egy Ember YouTube channel, 11 Mar 2017, source listed as Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)

鈥淜EEP TALKING - Vanessa Beeley on The White Helmets & the billionaires funding Regime Change鈥� Ian Fantom YouTube channel, 17 July 2019

鈥淰anessa Beeley -The tale of the White Helmets in the Western media, on the ground in Syria and beyond鈥� Mot Dag TV, 13 February 2019

鈥淧anel Discussion on White Helmets Organization in Syria鈥� UN Audiovisual Library video, 20 December 2018

鈥淯K Column News鈥� Brian Gerrish, Mike Robinson are joined by Alex Thomson and Vanessa Beeley for today's UK Column News. 14th October 2020

鈥淚nterview with Vanessa Beeley鈥� HPU Al-Hawash Private University, 21 November 2018

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