shahbaz baig
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Suddenly tension has intensified between Russia and the US with the order of the American President Donald Trump, when in the early hours of April 7, this year, using the pretext of chemical weapons attacks and blaming the Assad regime, the US warships fired 60 cruise missiles at the Shayrat Airfield controlled by the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. This was supposedly in response to the deadly chemical weapons attack, which killed at least 100 people and injured 400 individuals on April 4, 2017 in Khan Sheikhoun town. This town is located in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, and is controlled by a rebel alliance, which also includes a former Al-Qaeda affiliate.
Regarding military action through strikes, President Trump said that it was a necessary response to an “affront to humanity” after more than 70 people died in a poison gas attack in northwest Syria. He also stated that he took the action because of a “vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.” But such an action has put both the nuclear powers US and Russia into a risky stand-off.
Here contradictions of the President need attention. President Barack Obama had drawn a famous “red line” in Syria in 2012, warning Assad against the alleged use of chemical weapons. His failure to take military action after Syria launched an alleged chemical attack in the summer of 2013 marked one of his greatest foreign policy failures and became a symbol of presidential equivocation and weakness. Trump was not among those criticizing Obama at the time. Instead, he warned Obama not to take military action, even when chemical weapons had been used.
Similarly, when President Obama hosted the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31, 2016 to check the spread of nuclear weapons, showing concerns about the ambitions of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State group (Daesh, ISIS, ISIL) in acquiring a nuclear weapon or radioactive material, Donald Trump had taken a different stand in his interview with the CNN by stating, “More nuclear weapons could make the world safer…US can no longer afford to bankroll the defense of its allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East…Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia may need arsenals to confront threats in their region on their own.”
However, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has categorically dismissed any accusations that the Syrian Army deployed and used chemical weapons in Idlib. He elaborated,
“An impartial investigation into the Khan Sheikhoun incident should be conducted on the ground and be controlled by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)…we are against a remote investigation that would be conducted by collecting information provided by the so-called ‘white helmets’ who have discredited themselves by producing staged videos for achieving political goals.”
The Russian diplomat stressed, “We are also against using reports by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights to make any accusations.”
Both Russia and Syria condemned aerial strikes in Syria as violation of the international law and the UN charter.
In response to American airstrikes, Russia suspended a cooperation pact with the US aimed at avoiding incidents between the two countries’ planes in the crowded airspace over Syria by establishing direct hotlines between their militaries. Russian Foreign Ministry said, “The chemical attack was used as pretext for a demonstration of force.”
Russia’s defense ministry has blamed the rebels, saying a Syrian airstrike hit a chemical stockpile controlled by the armed opposition—Syrian jets are conducting legitimate strikes had struck a rebel weapons facility, while the US strikes are illegitimate. The Kremlin pointed out in a statement on April 7, 2017 that Syrian government doesn’t have any chemical weapons stored—the “campaign” was revenge for military gains by the Assad regime and aimed to “justify hostile resolutions it expects to be adopted at the Brussels conference.”
In a telephonic conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that it was unacceptable to make groundless accusations regarding the chemical weapons incident in Syria without conducting a detailed and unbiased investigation.
Meanwhile, the UN’s special envoy to Syria stated that an emergency Security Council meeting has been called, while investigations continue into what appeared to be a “chemical attack from the air.”
Some online sources also confirmed that the “armed terrorist groups” are responsible for the attack of poisonous gases in Khan Sheikhoun.
At the United Nations, Russia’s deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, strongly criticized what he called the US’ ‘‘flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression’’ whose ‘‘consequences for regional and international security could be extremely serious.’’
On the other side, during an emergency session of the UN Security Council session, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN said, ‘‘The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar al-Assad…the United States took a very measured step…we are prepared to do more”.
It is notable that America and its allies such as UK, Germany, France etc. who are determined to oust President Assad appreciated the US missile strikes. Some Muslim countries who support the CIA-Mossad rebels groups and ISIS terrorists also welcomed the missiles attack, calling it a courageous decision by Trump. Iran, which supports the other side of the six-year war, condemned the strikes, describing unilateral action as dangerous.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US attack and said that “In both word and action, Trump sent a strong and clear message that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.” Syrian rebel groups and ISIL outfit also appreciated America’s aerial attack.
In fact, all these terror-entities and the US-led Western countries, including Israel were greatly frustrated on the successes, achieved by the Russian-led forces which have retaken several regions from the rebel groups and ISIS group in Syria and Iraq. As part of the double game of the US and Israel, American CIA and Israeli Mossad have been supporting the rebel groups and ISIS outfit.
Russia has provided military assistance to the Syrian government since September 2015, turning the balance of power in Assad’s favour. Moscow has used its veto power at the Security Council on several occasions since the civil war began six years ago to prevent sanctions against Damascus.
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Regarding military action through strikes, President Trump said that it was a necessary response to an “affront to humanity” after more than 70 people died in a poison gas attack in northwest Syria. He also stated that he took the action because of a “vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.” But such an action has put both the nuclear powers US and Russia into a risky stand-off.
Here contradictions of the President need attention. President Barack Obama had drawn a famous “red line” in Syria in 2012, warning Assad against the alleged use of chemical weapons. His failure to take military action after Syria launched an alleged chemical attack in the summer of 2013 marked one of his greatest foreign policy failures and became a symbol of presidential equivocation and weakness. Trump was not among those criticizing Obama at the time. Instead, he warned Obama not to take military action, even when chemical weapons had been used.
Similarly, when President Obama hosted the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on March 31, 2016 to check the spread of nuclear weapons, showing concerns about the ambitions of terrorist groups such as the Islamic State group (Daesh, ISIS, ISIL) in acquiring a nuclear weapon or radioactive material, Donald Trump had taken a different stand in his interview with the CNN by stating, “More nuclear weapons could make the world safer…US can no longer afford to bankroll the defense of its allies in Europe, Asia and the Middle East…Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia may need arsenals to confront threats in their region on their own.”
However, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has categorically dismissed any accusations that the Syrian Army deployed and used chemical weapons in Idlib. He elaborated,
“An impartial investigation into the Khan Sheikhoun incident should be conducted on the ground and be controlled by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)…we are against a remote investigation that would be conducted by collecting information provided by the so-called ‘white helmets’ who have discredited themselves by producing staged videos for achieving political goals.”
The Russian diplomat stressed, “We are also against using reports by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights to make any accusations.”
Both Russia and Syria condemned aerial strikes in Syria as violation of the international law and the UN charter.
In response to American airstrikes, Russia suspended a cooperation pact with the US aimed at avoiding incidents between the two countries’ planes in the crowded airspace over Syria by establishing direct hotlines between their militaries. Russian Foreign Ministry said, “The chemical attack was used as pretext for a demonstration of force.”
Russia’s defense ministry has blamed the rebels, saying a Syrian airstrike hit a chemical stockpile controlled by the armed opposition—Syrian jets are conducting legitimate strikes had struck a rebel weapons facility, while the US strikes are illegitimate. The Kremlin pointed out in a statement on April 7, 2017 that Syrian government doesn’t have any chemical weapons stored—the “campaign” was revenge for military gains by the Assad regime and aimed to “justify hostile resolutions it expects to be adopted at the Brussels conference.”
In a telephonic conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu that it was unacceptable to make groundless accusations regarding the chemical weapons incident in Syria without conducting a detailed and unbiased investigation.
Meanwhile, the UN’s special envoy to Syria stated that an emergency Security Council meeting has been called, while investigations continue into what appeared to be a “chemical attack from the air.”
Some online sources also confirmed that the “armed terrorist groups” are responsible for the attack of poisonous gases in Khan Sheikhoun.
At the United Nations, Russia’s deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, strongly criticized what he called the US’ ‘‘flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression’’ whose ‘‘consequences for regional and international security could be extremely serious.’’
On the other side, during an emergency session of the UN Security Council session, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN said, ‘‘The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar al-Assad…the United States took a very measured step…we are prepared to do more”.
It is notable that America and its allies such as UK, Germany, France etc. who are determined to oust President Assad appreciated the US missile strikes. Some Muslim countries who support the CIA-Mossad rebels groups and ISIS terrorists also welcomed the missiles attack, calling it a courageous decision by Trump. Iran, which supports the other side of the six-year war, condemned the strikes, describing unilateral action as dangerous.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US attack and said that “In both word and action, Trump sent a strong and clear message that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.” Syrian rebel groups and ISIL outfit also appreciated America’s aerial attack.
In fact, all these terror-entities and the US-led Western countries, including Israel were greatly frustrated on the successes, achieved by the Russian-led forces which have retaken several regions from the rebel groups and ISIS group in Syria and Iraq. As part of the double game of the US and Israel, American CIA and Israeli Mossad have been supporting the rebel groups and ISIS outfit.
Russia has provided military assistance to the Syrian government since September 2015, turning the balance of power in Assad’s favour. Moscow has used its veto power at the Security Council on several occasions since the civil war began six years ago to prevent sanctions against Damascus.
Continue to read
