Moon of Alabama on the gas attack in East Ghouta

Syria - Any U.S. Strike Will Lead to Escalation

Moon of Alabama,

9 April, 2018

Yesterday's alleged 'gas attack' in east Ghouta likely never happened. A video shows a number of presumably dead kids in a basement or dark apartment. Another video shows an undamaged yellow gas cylinder which, we are told, was dropped from some unseen helicopter and crashed through a concrete roof. We do not know when or where these videos were made.

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Besides those videos of murky origin we hear claims from two 'western' paid anti-Syrian propaganda organizations, the White Helmets and SAMS, which claim hundreds were wounded in a chlorine attack.

Interestingly the MI6 outlet in Coventry, the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights (SOHR), does not confirm a 'gas' incident. In its version of events some 40 people died after their shelter collapsed:

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights issued a higher death toll, saying at least 80 people were killed in Douma, including around 40 who died from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside them.

Main stream media, which have quoted SOHR for years, now ignore it and report of a 'chemical attack' as if it were a proven reality.

All this happens at a moment when the Syrian army is victorious and Trump had just announced that he wants the U.S. to leave Syria. We noted that something similar happened exactly a year ago when similar illogical claims were made:

We are told to believe that each time the U.S. pulls back from the war on Syria the Syrian government is responding with a 'chemical attack' that pulls the U.S. back in.

Hours later the New York Times headlined: As Trump Seeks Way Out of Syria, New Attack Pulls Him Back In.

Over the last month Russia has several times warned that such fake gas attacks were being planned by the so-called 'rebels'. It also warned the U.S. that any strike it might take in 'retaliation' of such a fake attack would endanger Russian troops and installations in Syria. The Russian said they will respond to any severe U.S. attack with a strike against U.S. missile launching platform - be they jets or ships.

Israel immediately tried to further escalate the situation. Last night it hit the T4 airport in Homs with 8 cruise missiles launched from Israeli planes flying over Lebanon. The T4 airport is in the middle of Syria. Some Iranian drones are stationed there next to Syrian planes and helicopters to help in the fight against ISIS in east Syria. The damage was relatively light, but the Israeli strike requires a response. Russia had so far not commented on any Israeli strikes on Syria. This time it was first to condemn the attack. It will no longer hinder Syria or Iran should they decide to launch a counterattack on Israel or its interests.

Douma, where the alleged 'gas attack' happened, is now accessible. The terrorist of Jaish al-Islam are being evacuated to Idleb governorate. Russian military police entered and did not find any indication for the alleged chemical incident. The OPCW or some other organization could investigate the situation. This would as usual take several weeks.

Trump is under pressure from neoconservatives, military hawks ans some allies to do 'something', i.e. to attack Syria, and to do it immediately. Such an attack would likely escalate.

So far Trump sounds uncommitted:

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting, Trump promised a “major decision” over the next 24 and 48 hours and said one may come as soon as the end of the day. The U.S. president was meeting with military advisers Monday evening.

“Nothing is off the table,” he said when asked if U.S. military action was a possibility.

Russian troops in Syria and the Syrian army have raised their alarm levels. Should an attack come they will be ready to respond in kind.