The US could form a coalition to attack Syria.
The U.S. is likely lobbying its European and Middle Eastern allies to join a plan to retaliate against Syria for alleged use of chemical weapons.
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The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the 2011 air campaign in Libya with the US. Photo:AFP |
Unnamed U.S. officials said on April 9 that the Trump administration is considering a multinational military strike against Syria, but did not disclose specific plans.Reuters.
This information comes as President Trump has just announced he will soon decide on a response to Syria regarding the alleged use of chemical weapons in the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus, which killed approximately 70 people.
According to experts, France, Britain, or other Middle Eastern allies would be potential partners for the US in any future military intervention in Syria.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned in February that his country could attack Syria if Damascus violated the chemical weapons ban treaty. France currently has 12 fighter jets in the Middle East and could launch airstrikes against Syria from the sea.
Meanwhile, British Ambassador to the United Nations Karen Pierce stated that London is also discussing a response with its two allies, Washington and Paris, and that all options are being considered.
Experts believe that if carried out, the attack would target Syrian facilities linked to recent reports of chemical attacks, such as the Dumayr air base, where Mi-8 helicopters are stationed—vehicles believed to have been used by the Syrian military to drop chemical weapons.
Additionally, a more provocative attack could target Hmeymim airbase in northwestern Syria, which the White House has identified as the launch site for Russian fighter jets conducting bombing campaigns in Damascus and Eastern Ghouta.
Jennifer Cafarella, an expert at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, believes Syria may be studying how to counter a potential US attack, after its air defense system shot down five of eight missiles believed to have been launched by Israeli aircraft targeting the T-4 base in eastern Homs province on April 9.
