On April 24, 2017, Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Faysal Itani moderated a discussion with Syria’s White Helmet’s Jehad Mahameed and Manal Abazeed on the war on civilians, the use of chemical weapons, and the case for a no-fly zone in southern Syria.

Jehad Mahameed is the liaison officer of the Syria Civil Defense (SCD). He is from Deraa and was one of the original founders of the local civil defense committee in Deraa in 2011. Manal Abazeed is a Syria Civil Defense (SCD) volunteer in Daraa. She joined the White Helmets in April 2015 and specializes in public safety education and awareness. Her training covers explosive weapons, trauma counseling, and childbirth. Faysal Itani is a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, where he focuses primarily on the Syrian conflict and its regional impact. The Syria Campaign’s Kenan Rahmani was an interpreter for the event.