Member of Syria’s White Helmets group will not attend this weekend’s Academy Awards ceremony because of a rejected passport. US officials found “derogatory information” on the 21-year-old cinematographer. “Derogatory information” is a broad category that can be something serious to passport irregularities.
The White Helmets have been known to coordinate with Al-Qaeda affiliated groups in Syria, and several “volunteers” of the White Helmets have been caught also fighting for militant groups.