Trump promises swift action
The now notorious White Helmets in Syria have said that chemical weapons were used, angering the US, but no trace could be found at Douma where the attack allegedly took place.
US President Donald Trump has met with military commanders about a possible “forceful response” to alleged chemical attacks in Syria. Washington is ready to act without UN approval, its envoy told the Security Council earlier.
The alleged chemical attack in Syria “will be met and it will be met forcefully,” Trump told reporters on Monday evening. “We can't let atrocities like we all witnessed… we can't let that happen in our world,” Trump said, “especially if because of the power of the US, we are able to stop it.”
“We're getting some very good clarity” on who is responsible for the attack, the president added.
“We have a lot of options militarily, and we'll be letting you know pretty soon.”
Earlier in the day, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley spoke of the alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma on Saturday as a proven fact, and blamed Russia and the “monster” Bashar Assad for it.
On Monday, however, Russian and Syrian troops inspected the area, which had been cleared of Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) militants, and found no traces of any chemical agents. There were no patients at the local hospital with any signs of chemical poisoning, either.
“All these facts show… that no chemical weapons were used in the town of Douma, as it was claimed by the White Helmets,” the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria said in a statement, referring to the controversial group that was among the first to report about the alleged attack.
The centre called White Helmets-circulated photos of the alleged chemical attack “yet another piece of fake news”.
No options were off the table in articulating the possible US response, with Defense Secretary James Mattis saying earlier he “would not rule out anything right now.”
Flanked by Vice-President Mike Pence and his new national security advisor John Bolton, Trump was mostly asked about the FBI raid on the offices of his personal lawyer. He condemned the “witch hunt” against him over alleged Russian collusion from the very beginning of his campaign, calling it a “disgrace” and an attack on the entire country.
Trump has used harsh words about the alleged chemical attack, calling Assad an “animal” and vowing there would be a “big price to pay” for the purported use of chemical weapons. This echoes his words from a year ago, when the US launched missiles against a Syrian airbase after anti-government militants accused Damascus of a chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun.
On Saturday, some rebel-linked groups, including the White Helmets, accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical attack that, allegedly, affected dozens of civilians in the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma. The reports have already provoked a wave of outrage in the West, as the US and the EU rushed to put the blame for the incident on Damascus and Moscow. US President Donald Trump hastily denounced the perceived attack as a “mindless” atrocity and a “humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever,” warning of a “big price” to be paid.
The White Helmets claim to be volunteer first-responders saving Syrians caught up in the fighting. They gained traction in the western media and rose to prominence during the Battle of Aleppo in 2016, while working exclusively in the militant-controlled areas of the city and becoming one of the most widely used sources of information and visual materials in the West.
The people on the ground in Aleppo, however, told RT's Murad Gazdiev that the White Helmets were working closely with the militants and saving only “their own.” Local witnesses also accused the “activists” of looting the humanitarian aid that was coming into the city and of forcing the locals to read fake anti-government statements on camera, in return for food.
RUSSIA TODAY
The alleged chemical attack in Syria “will be met and it will be met forcefully,” Trump told reporters on Monday evening. “We can't let atrocities like we all witnessed… we can't let that happen in our world,” Trump said, “especially if because of the power of the US, we are able to stop it.”
“We're getting some very good clarity” on who is responsible for the attack, the president added.
“We have a lot of options militarily, and we'll be letting you know pretty soon.”
Earlier in the day, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley spoke of the alleged chemical attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma on Saturday as a proven fact, and blamed Russia and the “monster” Bashar Assad for it.
On Monday, however, Russian and Syrian troops inspected the area, which had been cleared of Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) militants, and found no traces of any chemical agents. There were no patients at the local hospital with any signs of chemical poisoning, either.
“All these facts show… that no chemical weapons were used in the town of Douma, as it was claimed by the White Helmets,” the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria said in a statement, referring to the controversial group that was among the first to report about the alleged attack.
The centre called White Helmets-circulated photos of the alleged chemical attack “yet another piece of fake news”.
No options were off the table in articulating the possible US response, with Defense Secretary James Mattis saying earlier he “would not rule out anything right now.”
Flanked by Vice-President Mike Pence and his new national security advisor John Bolton, Trump was mostly asked about the FBI raid on the offices of his personal lawyer. He condemned the “witch hunt” against him over alleged Russian collusion from the very beginning of his campaign, calling it a “disgrace” and an attack on the entire country.
Trump has used harsh words about the alleged chemical attack, calling Assad an “animal” and vowing there would be a “big price to pay” for the purported use of chemical weapons. This echoes his words from a year ago, when the US launched missiles against a Syrian airbase after anti-government militants accused Damascus of a chemical attack in the town of Khan Shaykhun.
On Saturday, some rebel-linked groups, including the White Helmets, accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical attack that, allegedly, affected dozens of civilians in the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma. The reports have already provoked a wave of outrage in the West, as the US and the EU rushed to put the blame for the incident on Damascus and Moscow. US President Donald Trump hastily denounced the perceived attack as a “mindless” atrocity and a “humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever,” warning of a “big price” to be paid.
The White Helmets claim to be volunteer first-responders saving Syrians caught up in the fighting. They gained traction in the western media and rose to prominence during the Battle of Aleppo in 2016, while working exclusively in the militant-controlled areas of the city and becoming one of the most widely used sources of information and visual materials in the West.
The people on the ground in Aleppo, however, told RT's Murad Gazdiev that the White Helmets were working closely with the militants and saving only “their own.” Local witnesses also accused the “activists” of looting the humanitarian aid that was coming into the city and of forcing the locals to read fake anti-government statements on camera, in return for food.
RUSSIA TODAY
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