© Thaer Mohammed / AFPThe White Helmets walk amid the debris in a rebel-held neighborhood of Aleppo.
During a session of the joint committee on national security strategy held on Monday, Rudd named the Syrian White Helmet 'rescue' organization as one recipient, but evaded questions about what other nations and groups received a share.
Former Tory defense chief Lord Hamilton told Rudd that he had become aware that the committee was "responsible to parliament for the CSS fund," but that MPs had been told the nations being handed cash were not to be revealed.
"We said we would be mildly interested in knowing in which countries this money is spent.
They said we can't be told because it is secret. We feel we are groping around in the dark.
"Rudd said that the fund was used for 97 different initiatives in 40 countries but declined to explain further, on the basis that the truth could be embarrassing and make other countries jealous.
She did acknowledge that some funding went on the controversial White Helmets, among others.
"They do a great job in reaching out, addressing UK interests in unstable areas," she told the committee.
Comment: They most certainly do address Western interests: White Helmets' fake news in Syria, supervised by the British Intelligence Agency, funded by Soros
"The White Helmets cannot be an independent organization because it works for the interests of the western countries that back terrorist groups in Syria and receives financial support from the US, Britain and Germany instead," Vanessa Beeley said, adding that "It seems to be strange that the White Helmets are constantly in the regions controlled by the ISIL and Fatah al-Sham Front (the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group previously known as the al-Nusra Front) and their affiliated groups. Videos and images taken in these regions prove that the White Helmets cooperate with the terrorists".
"The White Helmets not only offer medical services to terrorists and take part in their assassination and execution of civilians, but also work for overthrowing the Syrian government," the journalist stressed.
"They include groups such as the White Helmets in Syria, who do a great job."
The White Helmets, which were founded by a former British Army officer, have been accused of being a front for Western soft power in the region.
A recent report by the committee lamented the lack of transparency, arguing that "The lack of information available to us means that the jury is out on whether the CSSF is striking the right balance between the longer-term prevention of conflict and instability and short-term reaction to events.
"The government is clearly keen for the [joint committee] to legitimise the CSSF by endorsing the fund's operation. However, parliament does not have sufficient access to the information that we need effectively to scrutinise the CSSF," the authors said.
For her part, Rudd insisted she should be judged by results.
Comment: A couple of reasons why the UK government may be attempting to avoid further scrutiny: