Roger Waters continues to make headlines for his impassioned denunciation of the pro-Takfiri propaganda group White Helmets.  Prior to encores at his performance on the 13th of April in Barcelona, Waters condemned the White Helmets as “a fake organization that exists only to create propaganda for jihadists and terrorists”.  He further encouraged his audience to speak out against any form of foreign aggression on Syria. 

While Waters stated at the time that the proximate cause of his speech was his disappointment at being asked by a man he only named as Pascal to speak in favour of the White Helmets, Max Blumenthal has published an email revealing that beginning in 2016, a wealthy Saudi supporter of the White Helmets attempted to seduce Waters into speaking out for them. 

“Back in October 2016, a public relations firm representing the White Helmets called The Syria Campaign attempted to recruit Waters by inviting him to a lavish dinner organized by a Saudi-British billionaire, Hani Farsi.  The rock legend and renowned activist was told that by signing on to the organization’s mission, he could help “elevate the voices of Syria’s peaceful heroes”

Just days before his recent concert in Barcelona, Waters was lobbied again to support the White Helmets, this time by an eccentric French photojournalist affiliated with what he described as a “very powerfull [sic] syrian network.”  The activist demanded to join Waters on stage and deliver a message for the “children of syria.” 

Waters did not respond to either request. 

These emailed solicitations from White Helmets representatives and activists were provided by Waters to the Grayzone Project, and are published in full at the bottom of this article.  The documents demonstrate how the organization’s well-funded public relations apparatus has targeted celebrities as the key to the hearts and minds of the broader Western public“

Below are both of the pro-White Helmet emails which Waters ignored before ultimately denouncing the organisation on statge.  They have been provided to Blumenthal by Waters in light of the latter’s recent public statements:

Roger Waters has always been uncompromising in standing up for his beliefs and as the new evidence shows, even the possibility of Saudi Dollars which could have easily compensated for the money he lost when American Express pulled out of a $4 million sponsorship deal, he refused to surrender his beliefs.