IS SYRIA PLANNING ANOTHER CHEMICAL ATTACK?

…Assad attacked using chemical weapons in an area with a Syrian Hospital

 

Trump gives Russia the “benefit of the doubt” that Russia might not have been involved.

 

Based on drone surveillance and intercepted communications of Syrian military and their chemical experts talking about weapons preparations, it now appears that they are preparing for another chemical weapons attack in Syria.  The last time this type of activity occurred, was when at the same air field where it is suspected that their chemical weapons are stored, the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib area of Syria was the target for a Sarin chemical attack.  This was from a senior US official at the Pentagon.

 

The last time this Syrian air field saw this kind of activity, the US confirmed that this was the location for the planes that had delivered the chemical weapons which killed 89 innocent Syrian people. Yes, Assad ordered a chemical attack on his own people.  US Pentagon officials have said that there is "no doubt” that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the attack.  Of course, both the Russian and Syrian governments have denied involvement in the former chemical attacks.  But, obviously someone had to order it, and the attack would only have been to the benefit of the Syria president.

 

...Syrian twins killed by Assad's attack

 

 

No, the US did not know that the attack was going to happen.  But since that attack, and after reviewing all the data and intel from the reconnaissance drones and recon fly overs, they are now seeing the same kind of activity on the ground.  In addition, the activity coincides with the US recorded communications between the Syrian military and their chemical personnel.

 

Today, in the Syrian region, the US military intelligence officials acquire large volumes of communication intercepts in areas like Syria and Iraq.  This material is many times not fully processed unless there is a particular event that requires the analysts to go back and look for supporting intelligence material.  That is what occurred this time.

 

So far there are no intelligence intercepts that have been found directly confirming that Russian military or intelligence officials communicated about the potential attack. The likelihood is the Russians are now more careful in their communications to avoid being intercepted.

...Another innocent Syrian in the chemical attack

 

As expected, in President Trump’s consistent attempts to give the Russians the benefit of the doubt, he told a White House news conference that the Pentagon is looking into the question of Russian complicity in the chemical attack. "I would like to think that they didn't know, but certainly they could have," Trump said.   The Defense Secretary, Gen. James Mattis is looking into the matter with the Pentagon group that usually works on those issues.

 

The Pentagon has assessed that Syria has re-established a unit of scientific personnel associated with chemical weapons that existed before the 2013 agreement.  That agreement, in which the Syrian government pledged to give up its chemical weapons inventory.  And there is some indication they are getting outside help.  Would that be from their close ally Russia, or…..?  "We know they have the expertise. And we suspect that they have help," a US military official told reporters at a background briefing Friday.

 

At that briefing, the official also noted, "We know the Russians have chemical expertise in-country. We cannot talk about openly any complicity between the Russians and the Syrian regime in this….. in this case, but we're carefully assessing any information that would implicate the Russians knew or assisted with the Syrian capability."  But even if there is a definitive finding of Russian complicity, it's not clear the Pentagon or the White House would make that information public, another senior US official said.  First, it would have to be ironclad proof, which could be difficult to determine.

 

But the way President Trump seems to feel about Russia, we probably would never hear a bad word against Russia in any case.

 

The Pentagon official said the most specific evidence of Russian involvement is that they have video of a Russian drone that flew over the specific hospital that was treating people injured in the previous attack. The US has said that a specific intelligence video shows a Russian drone. Why else would the drone operator have the aerial vehicle fly in that area?  It was positively confirmed as a Russian-controlled drone.

 

The US feels that it has made the case that Russian support for Assad must end, but President Putin as usual just ignores whatever the US says they want of Russia.

 

Putin is still enjoying the fact that their involvement in the US elections is still the biggest on-going story in the US news.  The Russian involvement in the election was well worth whatever it cost the Russian government and it just keeps on giving.

 

However, if there is another chemical weapons attack, and it is determined that the Russians aided Syria, it could start an whole new chapter of concern that could be worse than the former US /Soviet Cold War.

 

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