U.S. weighs military response, as president also issues rare criticism of Putin in Sunday tweets
President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his two biggest allies could pay a “big price” for a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians, raising the prospect that the U.S. could launch a punitive military strike against Mr. Assad.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump called Mr. Assad an “animal,” criticized Iran for backing the Syrian leader, and took a rare personal shot at Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is vying with the U.S., for power and influence in the Middle East.
“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…to pay.”
World leaders reacted with disgust to graphic video showing lifeless women and children with foam bubbling from their mouths and noses, suggesting a deadly nerve agent may have been used.
American intelligence analysts and their allies around the world began poring over the videos and sifting through witness reports and other evidence to pinpoint who carried out the attack and what caused such a large number of deaths. The United Nations Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting on Syria as England and France both denounced the attack as an unconscionable crime.
Late Sunday, Syria’s pro-government television station reported that one of its bases in Homs had been hit by a missile strike. Syrian media said the military shot down eight missiles and that some soldiers had been killed by those that got through their air defenses.
Pentagon officials said the U.S. had launched no strikes against Syria. Speculation turned to Israel, which has carried out scores of airstrikes in Syria without confirming or denying involvement. It didn’t appear that the reported strike was part of any U.S.-led response to the suspected chemical-weapons attack.
The Israeli army declined to comment early Monday. Israeli officials had earlier reacted negatively to the attack in Syria.
Mr. Trump discussed Syria on Sunday with French President Emmanuel Macron and the two leaders agreed to “coordinate a strong, joint response,” the White House said.
The U.S. response is expected to be a central topic of discussion in Washington on Monday, when Mr. Trump plans to meet with his cabinet before gathering his senior military leaders for a briefing and dinner where Syria is likely to be a top issue.
President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his two biggest allies could pay a “big price” for a suspected chemical-weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians, raising the prospect that the U.S. could launch a punitive military strike against Mr. Assad.
In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump called Mr. Assad an “animal,” criticized Iran for backing the Syrian leader, and took a rare personal shot at Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is vying with the U.S., for power and influence in the Middle East.
“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…to pay.”
World leaders reacted with disgust to graphic video showing lifeless women and children with foam bubbling from their mouths and noses, suggesting a deadly nerve agent may have been used.
American intelligence analysts and their allies around the world began poring over the videos and sifting through witness reports and other evidence to pinpoint who carried out the attack and what caused such a large number of deaths. The United Nations Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting on Syria as England and France both denounced the attack as an unconscionable crime.
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| President Donald Trump reacted strongly to reports of a suspected gas attack in Syria. PHOTO: NICHOLAS KAMM/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES |
Pentagon officials said the U.S. had launched no strikes against Syria. Speculation turned to Israel, which has carried out scores of airstrikes in Syria without confirming or denying involvement. It didn’t appear that the reported strike was part of any U.S.-led response to the suspected chemical-weapons attack.
The Israeli army declined to comment early Monday. Israeli officials had earlier reacted negatively to the attack in Syria.
Mr. Trump discussed Syria on Sunday with French President Emmanuel Macron and the two leaders agreed to “coordinate a strong, joint response,” the White House said.
The U.S. response is expected to be a central topic of discussion in Washington on Monday, when Mr. Trump plans to meet with his cabinet before gathering his senior military leaders for a briefing and dinner where Syria is likely to be a top issue.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Medical professionals and human-rights groups said it appeared the Assad regime had used a mix of chlorine and some kind of nerve agent, though some said it wasn’t clear what chemicals may have been used.....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
“Based on the available information and the clinical symptoms and signs, we highly suspect it was a mixed attack of chlorine and a sarin-like chemical agent,” a doctor with the Syrian American Medical Society said.
The U.S. won’t decide how to respond until those questions are answered, which could take a few days, one person familiar with the matter said. If America and its allies conclude that Mr. Assad did use nerve gas in the attack, Mr. Trump would have to decide whether to respond with force, as he did a year ago, when he ordered a cruise-missile strike on a Syrian airfield used by pilots who dropped sarin gas on Syrian civilians, killing at least 85 people.
The Assad regime has been accused of using chemical weapons repeatedly during the war, charges it has denied.
The weekend attack is fueling a discussion in Washington over what role the U.S. should play in Syria, where more than 2,000 American troops are working to eliminate the last pockets of Islamic State fighters.
The attack came days after Mr. Trump publicly announced his hopes of quickly pulling U.S, forces out of Syria, a move some worry will allow Russia and Iran to eclipse America as key power brokers in the Middle East.
The president’s national-security team has been nearly united in pushing Mr. Trump to keep forces in Syria to ensure Islamic State is eliminated as a serious threat. Key members of the team want to see the U.S. retain its presence in Syria to ensure Iran doesn’t pose an increasing danger to neighboring Israel. But Mr. Trump pressed the military to get out of Syria in six months.
On Sunday, top Republicans said Mr. Trump’s push for withdrawal appeared to have given Mr. Assad the impression that he could again use chemical weapons without fear of a U.S. response.
“It’s a defining moment in his presidency,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said on ABC in calling on Mr. Trump to destroy Mr. Assad’s air force and resume covert U.S. efforts to push the Syrian leader from power.
“They see our determination to stay in Syria waning, and it’s no accident that they used chemical weapons,” he said. “If it becomes a tweet without meaning, then he’s hurt himself with North Korea. If he doesn’t follow through and live up to that tweet, he’s going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran.”
Mr. Trump faced a similar test last April, when the U.S. military launched nearly 60 cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield in an effort to deter Mr. Assad from using chemical weapons. The strike appeared to curb Mr. Assad’s use of some chemical weapons, though he continued to use less-lethal chlorine gas against civilians.
For months, the Trump administration has warned Mr. Assad that the use of chemical weapons could trigger a military response. Even before Sunday’s attack, the U.S. military crafted a series of options for the president, U.S. officials said.
While U.S. officials declined to discuss the options previously prepared for the president, outside analysts said the military could use cruise missiles to strike the Syrian military unit directly responsible for Saturday’s bombing in a limited attempt to again deter Mr. Assad from using chemical weapons.
Mr. Trump could order a broader strike meant to cripple Mr. Assad’s air force, though the Russian military carries out airstrikes for the Syrian regime and the U.S. is unlikely to target Russian planes. The U.S. could also carry out a broader strike aimed at the Syrian leadership by hitting military headquarters used to oversee the fighting.
A key issue in whether to launch a military strike is what it is meant to accomplish. The U.S. made it clear last year that it wasn’t using the cruise-missile strike to try and topple the Syrian leader. The U.S. is focusing most of its efforts on stagnant peace talks the Trump administration hopes would lead to Mr. Assad stepping aside.
A new military strike could also increase tensions with Russia, which warned the U.S. against attacking Syria and denounced reports about the suspected chemical weapons attack as a “hoax.”
Analysts said it seemed unlikely Mr. Trump would target Russian forces based in Syria, a move that would ignite a dangerous conflict with Moscow.
Mr. Trump will also have to consider what impact his response would have on other rivals like North Korea, which might view a decision not to strike Mr. Assad as another sign the U.S. is pulling back from conflicts around the world. America’s regional allies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, have been pressing the U.S. to retain its place as a counterbalance to Russia and Iran in the Middle East.
Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) dismissed suggestions that Mr. Trump’s public talk about getting out of Syria emboldened Mr. Assad, but said Sunday’s attack was one sign that the U.S. shouldn’t leave Syria too quickly.
“I think the president is going to have to reconsider his plan for an early withdrawal in light of what has happened,” she said on CNN.
(Source: WSJ)
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