Trump: “Many military options” in response to “chemical attack” in Syria
(Baonghean.vn) - RT news agency reported on April 10 that US President Donald Trump met with military commanders to discuss the possibility of a “strong response” to the alleged chemical attacks in Syria. Previously, the country’s delegation to the Security Council announced that Washington was ready to act even without the approval of the United Nations (UN).
The alleged chemical attack in Syria “will be met and met very strongly,” Mr. Trump told reporters on the evening of April 9. “We cannot allow barbarism like we saw to happen in the world,” Mr. Trump said, “especially when with the power of the United States, we can stop it.”
“We are gradually clarifying” who was responsible for the attack, the head of state added. “We have many military options, and we will let everyone know about that soon,” he said.
Earlier on the same day, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called the suspected chemical attack in Douma, located on the outskirts of Damascus on April 7, a verified fact, and blamed Russia and the “evil” Bashar Assad for causing the incident.
However, on April 9, Russian and Syrian troops inspected the area, which had been previously cleared by Jaysh al-Islam (Army of Islam) fighters, and found no traces of any toxic chemicals. In addition, no patients at the local hospital showed symptoms of chemical poisoning.
“This evidence shows that no chemical weapons were used in Douma as the White Helmets claim,” the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation said in a statement.
The White Helmets were the first to report on the alleged attack. The center called the photos of the alleged chemical attack released by the White Helmets “another piece of fake news.”
So far, no options have been ruled out to show a possible response from the US side, with US Defense Secretary James Mattis previously asserting that he “is not ruling anything out right now”.
Meanwhile, with the help of Vice President Mike Pence and new national security adviser John Bolton, Mr. Trump was also questioned by the press about the FBI raid on his personal lawyer’s office. He criticized this move as a “witch hunt” aimed at the election campaign, calling it a “disgrace” and an attack on the entire United States.
In recent days, Mr. Trump has used many harsh words to talk about the suspected chemical attack, calling Mr. Assad an “animal” and vowing to “make him pay a heavy price” for the suspected use of chemical weapons. This reflects the US President’s statements a year ago, when the US launched missiles at a Syrian air base after anti-government gunmen accused Damascus of a chemical attack on the town of Shaykhun./.
