White Helmets

In the last seven-plus years, Syria has been involved in a terrible civil war as a large anti-government faction fought to overthrow Bashar al Assad as Syrian President. What began as political demonstrations erupted when Syrian military forces opened fire on demonstrators. The violence spread, and anti-government forces began to take control of towns and cities from the government. Those towns and cities that fell to the anti-government forces were left without fire departments, police, and medical facilities and personnel.

The ongoing conflict killed and wounded civilians as well as trapping many in buildings collapsed by aerial bombings, rocket and artillery attacks. Those civilian victims of the fighting opened limited medical facilities in basements where they would have some protection from the fire targeting them. Those facilities became targets for Russian air attacks. During air attacks, the White Helmets would dig victims out of the rubble using just their hands.

The rescue of victims began and continued even during attacks by rescuers wearing white helmets to identify them as rescuers and not fighters. However, the Assad government and their Russian allies said the White Helmets were terrorists and targeted them in an attempt to stop their life-saving work. Although the White Helmets, working in the midst of war, suffered casualties, they bravely continued their work saving thousands.

The war continued, as so many have in the mid-east, and it changed from a political war to a religious sectarian war with the Ba'athist Syrian Arab Republic forces and their enemies taking sides. Iran became a force in the fight, and their involvement drew in Saudi Arabia and others.

We are now at a stage where the government forces are taking back control of towns. They are showing no mercy and are trying to wipe out the White Helmets. Over the last weekend, more than 200 of the White Helmets were evacuated by Israel and Jordan with assistance from the U.S. and European nations. Reports on Monday said there are hundreds more waiting to be rescued.

Despite what the Syrian government claims, these are brave humanitarian rescuers offering medical care and assistance to the victims of war. Attacking the White Helmets tells us a lot about the Syrian government and their Russian allies and their view of mercy and human rights.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.