Getting that sinking feeling, Russia accused the United Kingdom of fabricating the April 7 chemical attack that killed 42 residents of Douma, injuring scores more. Faced with what looks like an imminent attack by the U.S., U.K., France and other Western allies, 65-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the U.S. that all incoming missiles or U.S. warplanes would be shot down. President Donald Trump reassured Putin that the missiles would be coming and to get ready. While no one knows when the attack will occur, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France has categorical proof that the sarin-laced chlorine barrel bomb attack was ordered by the Syrian government and came via helicopter from a Syrian airbase. Russian Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkow accused Britain of staging the fake chemical attack, something contradicted by French evidence.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said yesterday that the U.S. was still working to confirm the chemical weapons used, despite Macron insisting France had all the proof it needs. “Britain’s direct involvement,” said Konashenikov, of fabricating video evidence showing Syrian children getting hosed down gasping for air. Russian and Syrian officials deny that any chemical attack took place, saying Russian inspectors could not verify the presence of chemical weapons. U.S. was looking for actual evidence,” said Mattis, signaling that an attack was delayed at least for the time being. Trump said yesterday that an attack on Syria could happen “very soon or not so soon at all,” throwing the media into a frenzy. Criticized for telegraphing his intent to attack Syria, Trump walked back the warning, Trump sows more ambiguity. But Trump’s attempt to camouflage the timetable looks deliberate.
Creating more ambiguity was Trump’s way of walking back anything he did to telegraph what he plans to do in the way of military action. U.S. officials reported today that blood-and-tissue samples of victims of the April 7 Douma gas attack show positive for chorine and a sarin-like nerve agent. Russian already went on record saying yesterday that Russian medical teams could not detect the presence of chemical agents. Yet Russia also said that no chemical attack took place, blaming the U.K. for fabricating video evidence of chemical attack. Only Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin deny that a chemical attack took place. Trump hit Syria’s Shayrat airbase April 7, 2017 with 59 Cruise missiles for Syria’s chemical attack on Khan Sheikoun April 4, 2017. No one other that Russia and Syria believe all the denials of chemical attacks.
Russia’s Foreign Minstry warned the West about repercussions from attacking Syria. Russia in particular, has spent three years battling a Saudi-funded rebel insurgency to topple al-Assad’s Alawite Shiite government. “Powerful pressure from London was exerted on representatives of the so-called White Helmets to quickly stage the premeditated provcation,” said Konashenkow, insisting Moscow had proof of British fabrication. Russia wants the world to see that the West has fabricated the chemical attack, something so preposterous, so off-the-wall, so farfetched that only conspiracy nuts would believe it. “Intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russo-phobic campaign were involved in that fabrication,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov knows, like the “Boy who cried wolf,” that Russian has run out of plausible deniability.
Awaiting a Western response to the April 7 chemical attack in Douma, Russia can only make idle threats to ward off what looks like an inevitable U.S. strike. “I hope no one would dare to launch such an adventure now,” said Lavrov. “It would only benefit those who are protected by the ocean and expect to sit there and engage in continuous efforts to stir up the region in order to advance their geopolitical goals,” blaming the U.S. for meddling in Syria. Neither Putin nor Lavrov get that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad routinely violates the 1925 and 1997 Chemical Weapons Bans. Neither Russia nor Syria has any credibility when it comes to denying the use of chemical weapons. While Russia has veto power on the U.N. Security Council, it has no veto power when it comes to enforcing the 1925 and 1997 Chemical Weapons Bans. Russia and Syrian have run out of excuses about using chemical weapons.
When the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW] gets to Douma this weekend, it’s just a matter of time before it confirms what happened. U.S., U.K and France have all the proof they need to degrade al-Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal and delivery systems. Russia has little choice but to get out of the way while Western powers degrade al-Assad’s capacity to use chemical weapons. Western officials already confirmed Syria and Russia moving troops and heavy equipment away from bases anticipating a U.S. strike. Stationing Russian troops in Douma, Al-Assad and Putin hope to make an attack more difficult for the U.S., U.K. and France. Russia finds itself fighting for rogue regimes not joining the Western Alliance in its fight against brutal dictators and Islamic terrorism. Once Trump decides to go, Putin has little choice but to get out of harm’s way to protect his assets.
