Syria crisis: Donald Trump warns Russia missiles are coming
As US-Russia tensions escalate, Donald Trump prepares for a larger strike than the 59 missiles fired at Syria last year.
Donald Trump is considering a much larger military strike against Syria to send a powerful message to dictator Bashar al-Assad not to repeat the use of chemical weapons on his own people.
The president has been meeting with advisers and is reportedly weighing up whether to order a more robust airstrike than the 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles which the US fired at Syria last April.
Military conflict between the United States and Russia is closer than at any time since the Cold War after Mr Trump confirmed plans for the airstrikes, despite Russian threats that it would shoot down American missiles.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two countries, the president warned that a US missile strike against Moscow’s close ally Syria “will be coming” and he taunted Russia over its threat to retaliate.
“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria,” Mr Trump tweeted. “Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart,” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”
Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!†You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
Mr Trump appeared to be responding to threats by Russia’s ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, that Russia would confront a US airstrike on Syria by shooting down missiles and striking their launchpads or points of origin.
Because US missiles would most likely be launched from ships, such a retaliation would amount to open warfare against US forces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia did not plan to respond to Mr Trump’s tweet.
“We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy,” Mr Peskov said. “We are supporters of serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation.”
However, the Russian navy is reportedly planning firing drills off the coast of Syria later today and tomorrow. The Russian Defence Ministry, which has a task force of 15 warships and auxiliary ships in the eastern Mediterranean, hasn’t announced the exercises officially. But the Cyprus department of civil aviation sent out a warning bulletin that the “Russian Navy exercise (rocket test firings) will take place in the area,” according to the Moscow Times.
Russian president Vladimir Putin did not directly address the issue but told a group of foreign envoys in Moscow that “the state of things in the world cannot but provoke concern.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “Smart missiles should be fired at terrorists and not at the legitimate government which has been fighting terrorists. Or is the trick to destroy all the traces with a smart missile strike and then there will be no evidence for international inspectors to look for?”
The US has been considering military options to strike Syrian forces ever since Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad ordered a chemical weapons attack launched against the rebel-held suburb of Douma in eastern Damascus. The attack killed at least 60 men, women and children, many of whom were found dead with white foam coming from their mouths.
Malcolm Turnbull defended Mr Trump’s tough rhetoric, declaring the US President was trying to stop the Kremlin blocking an investigation into the “shocking” use of chemical weapons in Syria.
The Prime Minister said Mr Trump made a “very strong judgment” when he tweeted the superpower’s relationship with the Kremlin was the worst it has ever been, including during the Cold War.
Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War. There is no reason for this. Russia needs us to help with their economy, something that would be very easy to do, and we need all nations to work together. Stop the arms race?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
“I think what he is doing there is calling on his counterpart, Russian president Putin, to stop this disruption of the international order and bring to an end these offences against international law and humanity, particularly this use of chemical weapons,” Mr Turnbull said.
He played down another tweet from Mr Trump where he vowed to launch missiles into Syria.
“I just want to say in respect to Syria, leaving aside tweets and so forth, but very seriously 49 people were killed in a shocking chemical attack in Duma in Syria, we have sought to support, as have other nations, this being condemned and investigated by the United Nations Security Council, Russia has vetoed that,” Mr Turnbull said.
“The Syrian regime is of course supported by Russia and we call on Russia to use its enormous influence in Syria to ensure this is investigated, those who have been responsible are brought to justice.
“This use of chemical warfare, whether it is is Syria or on a park bench in Salisbury in England is a shocking violation of international law and an affront to humanity.”
Britain now appears poised to join the United States in military action, with Prime Minister Theresa May vowing that those responsible for the “shocking and barbaric’’Douma attack would be held to account and insisting: “The use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.’’
Previously Mrs May had demanded to know who was behind the chemical attack. But she told reporters in Birmingham that all indications now pointed towards Syria.
”We’re rapidly reaching an understanding of what happened on the ground,’’ she said.
“All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible, and we’ll be working with our closest allies to consider how we can ensure that those responsible are held to account, and also how we can prevent and deter the humanitarian catastrophe of the use of chemical weapons in the future.”
It is uncertain if Mrs May will bow to opposition pressure to put any military support of the US president Donald Trump to a parliamentary vote.
Such referral to Westminster is not a legal requirement. However her predecessor David Cameron put the question of supporting military action against Bashar Al-Assad to a vote in 2013, only to have the proposal narrowly defeated. Another parliamentary vote in 2015 agreed for Britain to join airstrikes against Islamic State.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insisted: ”Parliament should always be given a say on military action. That’s a case that I’ve made going back many, many years”
US Defence Secretary James Mattis said today that Washington was still assessing the intelligence from the attack.
“We’re still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies,” Mr Mattis said.
“We stand ready to provide military options if they are appropriate, as the president determined.”
Mr Trump later tweeted; “Our relationship with Russia is worse now than it has ever been, and that includes the Cold War.’
The president also blamed the tensions with Moscow partly on the Russian investigation and the Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
“Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked with Obama. Mueller is the most conflicted of all,” he tweeted.
Much of the bad blood with Russia is caused by the Fake & Corrupt Russia Investigation, headed up by the all Democrat loyalists, or people that worked for Obama. Mueller is most conflicted of all (except Rosenstein who signed FISA & Comey letter). No Collusion, so they go crazy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
In April last year the US launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on a Syrian airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack by al-Assad on civilians in a rebel held town.
Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia
Greg Brown contributed to this article
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