In October 2016, Blumenthal said that the White Helmets were involved in a "false flag conspiracy" to claim an area had been targeted by the Syrian and Russian military. Charles Davis in an article for "New Politics" stated: "In fact, a White Helmets member was among the first civilians to appear on camera at the scene of the attack, declaring in English that 'the regime helicopters targeted this place with four barrel '." Writing in Pulse Media, Sam Hamad and Oz Katerji said Blumenthal had argued that the assault on Aleppo by Syrian and Russia forces in September 2016, "which the UN has labelled a war crime", was "one of the greatest losses for the empire since the fall of Saigon". Hamad and Katerji said Blumenthal called for action by the "deep state" against those forces opposing "Russia and Iran, and Syria as well, countries which have really no intention to attack the United States."