Monday 10 September 2018

Upping the ante - US Says Assad Has Approved Gas Attack In Idlib


US Says Assad Has Approved Gas Attack In Idlib, Setting Stage For Major Military Conflict

9 September, 2018


At this point there's not even so much as feigning surprise or suspense in the now sadly all-too-familiar Syria script out of Washington. 

The Wall Street Journal has just published a bombshell on Sunday evening as Russian and Syrian warplanes continue bombing raids over al-Qaeda held Idlib, citing unnamed US officials who claim "President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has approved the use of chlorine gas in an offensive against the country’s last major rebel stronghold."

And perhaps more alarming is that the report details that Trump is undecided over whether new retaliatory strikes could entail expanding the attack to hit Assad allies Russia and Iran this time around


That's right, unnamed US officials are now claiming to be in possession of intelligence which they say shows Assad has already given the order in an absolutely unprecedented level of "pre-crime" telegraphing of events on the battlefield

And supposedly these officials have even identified the type of chemical weapon to be used: chlorine gas

The anonymous officials told the WSJ of "new U.S. intelligence" in what appears an eerily familiar repeat of precisely how the 2003 invasion of Iraq was sold to the American public (namely, "anonymous officials" and vague assurances of unseen intelligence)  albeit posturing over Idlib is now unfolding at an intensely more rapid pace:
Fears of a massacre have been fueled by new U.S. intelligence indicating Mr. Assad has cleared the way for the military to use chlorine gas in any offensive, U.S. officials said. It wasn’t clear from the latest intelligence if Mr. Assad also had given the military permission to use sarin gas, the deadly nerve agent used several times in previous regime attacks on rebel-held areas. It is banned under international law.

It appears Washington is now saying an American attack on Syrian government forces and locations is all but inevitable.

And according to the report, President Trump may actually give the order to attack even if there's no claim of a chemical attack, per the WSJ:
In a recent discussion about Syria, people familiar with the exchange said, President Trump threatened to conduct a massive attack against Mr. Assad if he carries out a massacre in Idlib, the northwestern province that has become the last refuge for more than three million people and as many as 70,000 opposition fighters that the regime considers to be terrorists.

And further:
The Pentagon is crafting military options, but Mr. Trump hasn’t decided what exactly would trigger a military response or whether the U.S. would target Russian or Iranian military forces aiding Mr. Assad in Syria, U.S. officials said.

Crucially, this is the first such indication of the possibility that White House and defense officials are mulling over hitting "Russian or Iranian military forces" in what would be a monumental escalation that would take the world to the brink of World War 3.






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"Lots of evidence"
Trump regime not even trying, they're just phoning this disinformation campaign in

The WSJ report cites White House discussions of a third strike — in reference to US attacks on Syria during the last two Aprils after chemical allegations were made against Damascus —  while indicating it would "likely would be more expansive than the first two" and could include targeting Russia and Iran
The incredibly alarming report continues:

During the debate this year over how to respond to the second attack, Mr. Trump’s national-security team weighed the idea of hitting Russian or Iranian targets in Syria, people familiar with the discussions said. But the Pentagon pushed for a more measured response, U.S. officials said, and the idea was eventually rejected as too risky.
A third U.S. strike likely would be more expansive than the first two, and Mr. Trump would again have to consider whether or not to hit targets like Russian air defensesin an effort to deliver a more punishing blow to Mr. Assad’s military.

Last week the French ambassador, whose country also vowed to strike Syria if what it deems credible chemical allegations emerge, said during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Idlib: “Syria is once again at the edge of an abyss.” 


With Russia and Iran now in the West's cross hairs over Idlib, indeed the entire world is again at the edge of the abyss. 

developing...


Pentagon Sends "Strong Message" To Russia With Live-Fire Assault Drills In Syria


The Pentagon responded to the highly unusual and unique Russian amphibious landing drills staged Saturday on the Mediterranean Sea along the Syrian coast, involving both its Navy and Air Force. Russia released footage of the large-scale exercise amidst threats issued from leaders in Washington, Paris, and London over the Russian-Syrian allied assault on al-Qaeda held Idlib Province

The Pentagon has publicized its own military exercise that took place just prior to the Russian drills. US officials related to reporters that over 100 Marines flown to southeast Syria for what have been described as "snap live-fire excercises" in order to send a "strong message" to Russia after earlier this week Moscow warned its forces could attack in the area near US-occupied At Tanf. 

In a statement a spokesman for the U.S. military’s Central Command said the air-assault drill was an effort todemonstrate the capability to deploy rapidly, assault a target with integrated air and ground forces, and conduct a rapid exfiltration anywhere in the Operation Inherent Resolve combined joint operations area.”


The spokesman, Navy Capt. Bill Urban, explained further that “Exercises like this bolster our defeat-ISIS capabilities and ensure we are ready to respond to any threat to our forces.” However, with ISIS essentially now wiped out and driven almost completely underground, the threat appears more immediately aimed at Moscow


It reportedly involved a company-sized unit and took place near or outside of the American garrison at Tanf, and the deployment of heavy artillery. Marines were deployed at the start of the exercise via assault helicopters. 
Fox News details the real reasons behind the US show of force in southeast Syria during the live-fire drill:
The rare show of force in Syria comes months after U.S. aircraft  including AC-130 gunships, jets and bombers  killed roughly 300 Russian mercenaries near Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria after American special operations forces came under attack

The Russians agreed to a [34 mile] ‘deconfliction zone’ around the At Tanf garrison to avoid accidental conflict between our forces, and to remain professionally engaged through de-confliction channels. We expect the Russians to abide by this agreement,” Urban said.

Urban still urged that the US “does not seek to fight the Russians, the government of Syria or any groups that may be providing support to Syria.”
Meanwhile on Saturday the footage released by Russia’s Defense Ministry showed marine special forces equipped with the latest Russian gear landing on the shores of the Syrian Latakia province. As part of the staged invasion, the Russian Marines used helicopters, fast attack craft and armored vehicles while landing from major amphibious ships under cover of dozens of Russian combat aircraft.
Both the American and Russian drills come amid heightened tensions in the region (read "Everything you need to know about the looming battle for Idlib") as Moscow warns that the US is deploying additional military assets towards Syria for a potential missile attack against Syrian government forces. As previously reported, the missile destroyer USS Ross was deployed to the Mediterranean, carrying 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles; at roughly the same time the USS The Sullivans was deployed to the Persian Gulf and a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber was relocated to an air base in Qatar.


The Russian ministry said the preparations are the latest evidence of the US intention” to strike after what it says will be a false flag chemical attack in Syria.


The Pentagon also announced that it has already compiled a list of preliminary targets in Syria, which the US military are planning to hit in case of a “chemical weapons attack.” And, It has also “routinely” briefed the White House on “military options” in case of such incident.


The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly warned that the militants in Idlib have been preparing a false flag attack using chemical weapons to justify the US strike against the forces loyal to the Syrian government. On Saturday, the ministry’s spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said that these preparations entered their “final stage."





This month, the US Navy is conducting exercises it claims will guarantee freedom of movement through Persian Gulf and Red Sea waterways, as Iran threatens to obstruct shopping through key maritime positions.

US 5th Fleet Theater Counter Mine and Maritime Security Exercise Commander Scott A. Stearney recently told reporters in Manama that the exercises, which involve both regional and global allies, "illustrate that the US and our partners stand ready to ensure the freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce wherever international law allows," Bloomberg reported Sunday.

According to Stearney, US allies need to be ready to "address anything that threatens our interest or our [US] ships," adding that Iran's activities in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea areas are "promoting instability."

One of the US Navy exercises is occuring in Djibouti, a known choke point for global shipping at the southern end of the Red Sea.

In early July, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) held large-scale military drills in the Persian Gulf. The IRGC said at the time that they were ready to disrupt other countries' oil shipments through the strait if Iran's own exports were impeded.

Iran has full control of the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, according to IRGC navy chief Alireza Tangsiri.

British Royal Navy’s New Aircraft Carrier Sets Sail for US to Train With F-35Bs
Iranian officials earlier threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off a primary oil shipping route, in retaliation for any hostile action from the US.

In June, the US Department of State urged oil companies to stop exporting oil from Iran by November to avoid US sanctions, after President Donald Trump said in May that the United States would leave the nuclear agreement with Iran. The deal stated that Tehran guarantees the peaceful nature of its nuclear program in exchange for the gradual lifting of sanctions.

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