US warns Russia of possible attack on Syria if Assad uses chemical weapons
(Baonghean.vn) - This warning was given by US National Security Advisor John Bolton to his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev during a meeting a few days ago in Geneva.
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| Illustration: Internet |
Bloomberg news agency on August 24 quoted its own source as saying that the US has warned Russia that it will be ready to attack Syria again if President Bashar al-Assad and his government use chemical weapons in the country.
According to Bloomberg sources, the above warning was conveyed by US National Security Advisor John Bolton to his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev during a meeting on August 23 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The news agency claimed Washington “has information that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may use chemical weapons as he seeks to retake one of the last rebel-held areas in the country,” in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.
In talks with Patrushev, Mr. Bolton said the United States would respond with stronger military action than it had used in Syria in the past — in 2017 and 2018.
The parties also discussed the possibility of withdrawing US troops from a military base in the border area between Syria and Iraq, as well as the prospects of cooperation with Russian forces deployed nearby. According to the above news site, no agreement has been reached on this issue yet.
In addition, the US also rejected Moscow's proposal to freeze sanctions against Iran under a larger plan to stabilize the situation in Syria.
Several NGOs, including the White Helmets, claimed that a chemical weapons attack took place in the town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, on April 7. The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticized the allegation as a fabrication, while the Russian Defense Ministry has pointed out that the White Helmets are notorious for spreading fake news. On April 9, officials from the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria visited Douma but did not find any traces of chemical weapons.
According to TASS, the US, UK and France used rumors about this incident as an excuse to conduct a simultaneous airstrike on Syria without the approval of the United Nations Security Council on April 14.
Previously, on April 7, 2017, US President Donald Trump ordered an attack on Shayrat air base. The attack involved 59 Tomahawk ground-attack missiles and took place as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Idlib province on April 4. Damascus has rejected the accusations, which were based on information provided by the White Helmets.
