Trump just pulled funding for Syrian “White Helmets” rescue group. Vladimir rejoices.

I rarely deviate from sharing climate change issues, but this really pisses me off. How can anybody be so fucking cruel and heartless?

The White Helmets consists of 3,000 heroes that rush into collapsed buildings, after air strikes flattens them, in an attempt to rescue survivors and provide them with critical trauma care. Trump, in his severely twisted mind, decided to pull funding from the only group that actually saves lives in the brutal Syrian civil war. 

About a third of the funding for Syria Civil Defence, known popularly as the White Helmets, came from the U.S., with the rest coming from the U.K., Germany, and other governments. Until very recently, the group had a positive relationship with the U.S., which has provided the group about $33 million in funds since 2013. But now, at the president’s request, the State Department has pulled funding.

snip

Though their work has largely gained them international recognition as brave rescue workers, they’ve come under attack from a propaganda campaign pushed by Russian state media to discredit their work. The Russians have been trying to tie the group to the al-Qaida Islamic extremist group and claiming there’s an ulterior motive behind their mission. The Russians support the regime of Syrian president Bashar Assad, who’s accused of using chemical weapons against his own people.

“After a British documentary about the White Helmets won an Oscar for best short documentary, the Russian embassy in the U.K. put out this tweet”:

Russia welcomes #Oscars award for “White Helmets” film. Indeed, they are actors serving an agenda, not rescuers. #OscarMistakepic.twitter.com/RsQesgZ4Te