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WORLD NEWS Thursday 26 July 2018

Trapped Syrian White Helmets live in fear, seek a way out

By SARAH EL DEEB an agent was the biggest
BEIRUT (AP) — White Hel- (concern) ... it has become
mets volunteers trapped in justified for the government
southern Syria after the gov- to do anything to us."
ernment seized areas they The trapped volunteers of-
operated in said Wednes- ten meet at night to discuss
day they live in fear of be- ways to leave, though they
ing caught in the dragnet have few options.
of the government, which "Some show their fear,
considers them one of its some hide it. Some try to
staunchest enemies, and keep morale high," said the
are desperately seeking a father of three.
way out. "We are facing an un-
Hundreds of the volunteer known destiny," he said. "If
rescue workers — who we knew we face death
have toiled in conflict- that would be accepted.
ravaged opposition areas But our fate is unknown:
for years — have failed torture, detention, maybe
to make it out of southern death or maybe survival if
Syria in a complex interna- we are lucky," he said. "Life
tional evacuation. without hope or dreams is
The evacuation of more more difficult than dying."
than 400 White Helmets The two volunteers said
was executed under the In this Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, file photo, Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets rescue workers moving to opposition-held
cover of darkness across move victim from site of airstrikes in al-Sakhour neighborhood of the rebel-held part of eastern Idlib in the north — an op-
the tightly sealed frontier Aleppo, Syria. tion available for those
with the Israeli-occupied Associated Press who refused reconciliation
Golan Heights last week- — is not available to them.
end as a government of- for evacuation. But they them and their families. ing them of being agents It would mean taking the
fensive unfolded. were caught between the "I have four kids and I am of foreign powers, being risk of going through gov-
In the quickly changing IS-affiliate militants and wanted. The (government) terrorists for working in reb- ernment checkpoints to
battlefield, the volunteers government forces. has declared war on ev- el-controlled areas and of another dangerous area
were unable to access They are currently confined erything that is civil de- staging chemical attacks. considered to be an even
roads to the frontier in time to about 10 square kilo- fense," he said, using the The group, which had larger prison.
for the first-of-its-kind evac- meters (3.8 square miles) other name for the White more than 3,000 volunteers They said they have not
uation that involved inter- where they can move be- Helmets. He spoke on con- in opposition-held areas, been able to contact those
national coordination be- tween several small villages dition of anonymity for fear has saved thousands of who evacuated to Jordan.
tween six countries — Israel, safely. of being arrested. lives since 2013 and docu- A family member said the
the U.S. Britain, Germany, They live incognito, using For those who stayed be- mented government at- evacuees had their phones
Jordan and Canada. off-roads to avoid govern- hind, the psychological tacks on civilians and other taken away from them.
Advancing government ment checkpoints and pressure is even more crip- infrastructure. Its volunteers The team leader called on
forces and an affiliate of move in tight circles, often pling than the physical en- were repeatedly targeted, the international commu-
the Islamic State group with protection, looking trapment. and more than 250 were nity to negotiate an exit for
expanding in the region out for any signs of govern- Unlike other civilians who killed on duty. them or at least guarantee
quickly seized territory ment troop movements. decided to stay in the gov- The evacuation over the them protection. "Other-
as the armed opposition Their villages are besieged ernment-controlled south, weekend through the Israe- wise we will continue to live
crumbled or surrendered in by government troops and the White Helmets say it li-occupied Golan Heights homeless," he said.
the face of a month-long Russian military police. After is impossible to trust the to Jordan has made things The other volunteer said
government offensive. living for years under op- government to reconcile. worse, said the other volun- when there is a will there
Two of the volunteers who position administration, the Rumors and media cam- teer, a father of three who is a way: Ransoms have
couldn't make it told The Syrian flag now flies in their paigns are making them also spoke on condition been paid to free Western
Associated Press they tried villages. even more jittery. of anonymity. Israel and hostages, and negotia-
but couldn't reach the fron- One of the two, who is in The government and its al- Syria are formally at war. tions secured the evacua-
tier. The two, who have charge of a team of 30 vol- lies have waged a concert- Collaborating with Israel is tions of others, including Is-
been part of the group for unteers, said he is scram- ed campaign against the considered grand treason. lamic State militants at one
years, had been cleared bling to find ways to save volunteers for years, accus- "The accusation of being point.q