Signs that three powers cooperating on imminent military strike against Assad regime facility
THURSDAY FEATURES
The Chemical Attacks Near Damascus — An Open Source Review
Podcasts: The Impending Strike v. Assad’s Chemical Attacks — What Happens Next?
UPDATE 2000 GMT: The New York Times reports its findings on responsibility for the chemical attacks on Douma:
While much about the attack remains unclear, [our] review of more than 20 videos of its aftermath, an examination of flight records compiled by citizen observers, and interviews with a dozen residents, medics and rescue workers suggest that during a military push to break the will of Douma’s rebels, pro-government forces dropped charges bearing some kind of chemical compound that suffocated at least 43 people and left many more struggling to breathe.
“You imagine yourself on Judgment Day, and there is death all around you,” said Mr. Hanash, the student. “It was a scene that you don’t want anyone to have to see: old men, women and children screaming and suffering.”
The US, France, and UK continued on Wednesday to plan for a military response — but without taking — to the Assad regime’s chemical attacks near Damascus last Saturday.
Having suddenly shifted his position on Syria’s conflict after watching TV images of the victims, Donald Trump opened Wednesday with the Twitter message that US missiles are on the way to the regime’s military facilities — adding a message to his friend Vladimir Putin:
Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
But Trump had not consulted advisors, so US officials spent the rest of the day reviewing plans and consulting with the British and French. A two-hour meeting was convened on Wednesday afternoon, which Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The French Government signaled a move toward action with the news that President Emmanuel Macron was reviewing military plans. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, facing calls to secure Parliamentary approval, took a firmer line. Reports in the morning said Britain wanted more intelligence from the US of the Assad regime’s responsibility, but in a speech later in the day May said “all the indications” are that the regime was responsible and that the use of chemical weapons “cannot go unchallenged.”
Speculation grew through the day that the three militaries would act overnight, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dampened it with the remarks that consultations over targets and with allies were ongoing. She assured, “The President holds Syria and Russia responsible for this chemical weapons attack.”
Defense Secretary Mattis said earlier in the day that the US was “still assessing the intelligence” on the chemical attack: “We stand ready to provide military options if they are appropriate as the President determined.”
In London, Prime Minister May will convene an emergency Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Russian fleet in Sevastopol put on alert: https://www.unian.info/politics/10076366-russian-fleet-in-sevastopol-put-on-alert-media.html
“The Admiral Makarov frigate with Kalibr cruise missiles may be sent to Syria. It is allegedly stationed in Baltiysk at the moment.”
Where do you find these no-name websites? Who does Russia want to hit with its cruise missiles? London? Washington? Vienna? That house in Manbij that US soldiers are renting? Why do you always post fake news websites? Why are you always agitating for war?
How can they be no name web sites and be found? The Russians will be ready to sink the US fleet if necessary. With the advent of modern anti ship missiles, the US Navy has become a fleet of floating coffins.
You read this from your chocolate box? Was this after the one it said the chinese navy was coming to the help of the russian navy? 🙂
Ooops
http://www.minareport.com/2018/04/10/chinese-navy-enters-mediterranean-in-support-of-russia-france-uk-join-us-in-support-of-isis/
You need to provide a report which is from a reliable news site, not those spreading rumors and propaganda.
lol deangelis i think i a chocolate box would have more credibility than that bs article you just posted. Do you understand that to try to express your delusions you have to pick news down the worst “media” shit holes
Did aliens land anywhere lately Razmjoo?
Already there are those claiming that the OPCW investigation will not find evidence of a chlorine or sarin attack because the Russians have cleaned up the evidence and the Syrian government has instructed the medics not to say anything incriminating or be executed. However, we should remember that the OPCW in its report on the Khan Sheiykoon incident last year stated the following that should have demonstrated that their conclusions were flawed : “the crater from which the sarin emanated was disturbed after the incident and subsequently filled with concrete. As such, the integrity of the scene was devalued.”
To be complete, it should be noted that the JIM took into account the disturbance of the crater and still concluded:
“The expert analysis found that the characteristics of the crater were consistent with having been hit by a heavy object travelling at a high velocity, probably with a liquid fill. Any explosion from the burster charge would be small and, furthermore, the liquid surrounding the burster charge would have absorbed most of the energy from the explosion. The Mechanism notes that, based on the foregoing, the characteristics of the crater are more likely to have been caused by an aerial bomb with a small explosive charge, and that it probably contained liquid.”
Chemical Weapons Team Is On Its Way To Syria, Watchdog Group Says: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/12/601783524/douma-is-now-controlled-by-syrias-government-russia-says
“A fact-finding team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is now on its way to Syria and will begin working there by Saturday, OPCW spokesperson Johan de Wittlaan said on Thursday.”
Macron says he has proof of chemical weapons attack….shows no evidence:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43740626
The actual headline of the article: “Syria ‘chemical attack’: France’s President Macron ‘has proof'”
Where’s the actual evidence of a chemical attack in Douma beyond what the Syrian-American Medical Society and the White Helmets, both linked to the opposition or to western governments, have put out (and since repeated by the WHO)? If Macron has “proof” that chlorine or some nerve agent was used, he should present it to the UN security council. No new information, or update on the alleged casualties, has come out since Douma was retaken. I’d like an honest reply rather than the usual censorship.
1. Local doctors
2. Local rescuers (not just White Helmets)
3. Residents
4. Citizen journalists
5. Activists
Multiple sources in each category.
Oh, and to be clear, the SAMS and White Helmets reports have not been challenged on the basis of information as opposed to your general, ad hominem smearing of them.
As the Russians have warned, every one of those bombers will be a target the minute they fire a missile or drop a bomb on Syria. The US, Britain and France can’t do jack without commuting boots on the ground.
China’s navy is headed for Syria to join Russia. The stakes are raised even further. May has not even put military action before parliament for a vote. So how badly does May and Trump want to risk nuclear war?
China has little interest in fighting over Syria. Russia can’t fight a war with the West. You are dreaming in Technicolor.
Russia can and will fight a war with the west if they have to. The stakes are much higher for them than the US.
Why would Russia want to fight a war with the west? Russia has no serious interests in Syria. Putin just wants to rule, and as long as that is not threatened, he has no ax to grind.
hahahahaha……feeling the pressure huh Andre? Russian will do what??? Mig taken down by the Turks…response zero. US in deirzzor taking out 200+russian mercs….response zero. XXXXth Israeli air raids in the past 3 years……response zero. And so on. Truth is that Russia’s only real weapon is threats. Full stop. As a matter of fact its ships in Tartous are fleeing the port away from harms way. The part of china’s navy headed to Syria you must have read it in some chocolate box.
Do you not realise how easily this could escalate to all out war?
Mig taken down by the Turks…response zero.
The fete of Syria was not at stake and the Turks ended up apologising on bended knee.
US in deirzzor taking out 200+russian mercs….response zero.
Turned out the report was fake. No Russians were taken out.
Israeli air raids in the past 3 years……response zero.
Other than an F16 blown out of the sky.
And so on. Truth is that RussTrump looks like he is backing down from the attacking, at last for now. Even Therea May is treading cautiously given that the British public is opposed to strikes.
The part of china’s navy headed to Syria you must have read it in some chocolate box.
Yeah sure
https://en.news-front.info/2018/04/11/chinese-navy-ships-ordered-join-russian-task-force-event-us-strike-syria/
front.info? Another one of your fake news sites Andre? Why would Putin put his president-for-life position in danger by confronting the west? He doesn’t even have a serious interest in Syria. Only 2,000 Russians in Syria. He has lost $50 billion on Syria, while the health care system of Russia is rotten to the core. Canada spend 120x more per person on healthcare than Russia. Russia’s GDP per cap is same as Mexico. Your country is a laughing stock. The only thing you got is nukes to blackmail.
What’s fake about the site I provided Kazemi?
Why would Putin put his president-for-life position in danger by confronting the west? He doesn’t even have a serious interest in Syria.
Russia has far greater interest in Syria than the US, France or Britain does. The
He has lost $50 billion on Syria, while the health care system of Russia is rotten to the core.
Hilarious. The health care system of the US is the world in the world. 45,000 Americans die every year from lack of access to health care even though they spend 2-10 times as much on health care than then rest of the world.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-healthcare-deaths/study-links-45000-u-s-deaths-to-lack-of-insurance-idUSTRE58G6W520090917
The US has become a laughing stock. It even elected a orange headed game show host as it’s president.
You are a fcking joke Deangelis……..thanks once again for proving my point…….the russian mercs smoked in deirzzor never happened ?!?
Do you seriously think that the Russians will risk open confrontation with the US over a couple of Assad’s facilities? Consider that their own soldiers will most likely not be in the crossfire and Assad’s overall position won’t be seriously threatened. Does shooting down US planes and drawing them further in still sound like a smart idea, or is it an incredibly dumb one?
Do you seriously think that the Russians will risk open confrontation with the US over a couple of Assad’s facilities?
The US has threatened to attack Russian facilities too so yes. After all, do you think the US would threaten open confrontation with the Russia over the alleged deaths of a few dozen Syrians government hat 10,000k were killed in the liberation of Mosul?
Consider that their own soldiers will most likely not be in the crossfire and Assad’s overall position won’t be seriously threatened.
If this turns out to be the same wet noodle the US threw at Shayrat last year then obviously not. The US and Russia are in crisis talks at the moment.
Trump is under pressure to go big this time and inflict a decisive blow against Assad. France and Britain are also threatening to join the effort.
It won’t be the same wet noodle, as the last year’s bombing has proven to be inadequate for the purpose of deterrence. What follows is more ordnance on more targets. But it still isn’t regime-change. Russia’s war effort these last 3 years won’t be undone and it will still retain its Mediterranean port and client regime. Putin won’t throw that away for a few of Assad’s bases.
“Do you think the US would threaten open confrontation with the Russia over the alleged deaths of a few dozen Syrians”
1. It’s not a couple of dead Syrians that are the issue here; it’s the weapons used. Tell Assad to stick to maiming kids with barrel bombs and I guarantee you the international community will be perfectly fine with it.
2. The US is not confronting Russia. Not militarily, which is what matters here. They’re confronting Assad. That would quickly change in a scenario where combat aircraft start falling from the sky.
I sincerely doubt the Russians have been sitting these two days twiddling their thumbs. Communication channels exist, and unless the US mission explicitly includes dead Russians – and there’s nothing indicating that it does – they’d establish an understanding where Russia takes its troops out of harms way, while Assad receives the retaliation he so nicely asked for.
It won’t be the same wet noodle, as the last year’s bombing has proven to be inadequate for the purpose of deterrence.
The deterrence argument is nothing but a smokescreen. Anyone with a brain knows that Assad had nothing to gain and everything to lose by this attack. It was staged to deny Assad victory.
What follows is more ordnance on more targets. But it still isn’t regime-change.
Give me a break. That is the one and only US goal in Syria. So much so that Kerry admitted ISIS would be useful to achieve it.
Russia’s war effort these last 3 years won’t be undone and it will still retain its Mediterranean port and client regime. Putin won’t throw that away for a few of Assad’s bases.
Again it remains to be seen. If the US attack is significant enough to weaken Assad and give support to opposition groups to resume fighting, it could be a repeat of Lybia. Russia is determined to prevent that from happening a second time.
“Do you think the US would threaten open confrontation with the Russia over the alleged deaths of a few dozen Syrians”
It’s not a couple of dead Syrians that are the issue here; it’s the weapons used.
The US doesn’t give a crap about the weapons used. What is the difference between using chemical to kill people and conventional bombs? If you are suggesting the international community is happy to tolerate killing of civilians with barrel bombs but not chlorine, then that just goes to show how absurd this position is.
2. The US is not confronting Russia. Not militarily, which is what matters here. They’re confronting Assad.
Who are you truing to fool? The us has all but admitted this is a proxy war against Iran and Russia.
I agree that there have been communications taking place. But at the end of the day, the Russians are not going to agree to US terms if they mean destroying Assad and every means he has to fight this war.
“Give me a break. That is the one and only US goal in Syria. So much so that Kerry admitted ISIS would be useful to achieve it.”
Over 20 000 US airstrikes on IS positions. Sorry Andre, but Assad has nothing on the Islamic State’s anti-imperialist credentials.
“Anyone with a brain knows that Assad had nothing to gain and everything to lose by this attack.”
Nah, exposing the impotence of the international community definitely has its value. And – again – his losses won’t be that big either.
“If you are suggesting the international community is happy to tolerate killing of civilians with barrel bombs but not chlorine, then that just goes to show how absurd this position is.”
I don’t disagree.
“The us has all but admitted this is a proxy war against Iran and Russia.”
US is simply not trying then, considering its war goals are limited to keeping Assad and Iran on the western bank of the Euphrates. Quite successfully, might I add.
Anyhow, this conversation can go on all week. Let’s see what the bombing brings.
Over 20 000 US airstrikes on IS positions.
According to whom? Does that include the air strikes on SAA in DEir Ezzor which were followed by ISIS assaults on the SAA?
Nah, exposing the impotence of the international community definitely has its value.
Impotence with regard to alleged CW attacks? What about the impotence in the face of bombings in Yemen?
British bombers continue to land in Cyprus as UK subs are in position in front of Syria’s coast.
https://twitter.com/MarQs__/status/984308052819103744
Major op on the way. Tonight or most likely tomorrow night (Saturday early morning) will be X hour. Assad probably already hiding in some basement.
But even if one Russian gets bruised, then Russia will destroy all the fleets and even invade Europe to teach the “jingoists” a lesson. (putting on my Andre hat – lol)