US president warns Moscow to prepare for missile strikes - Financial Times

April 11, 2018

Trump says US poised to take military action against Syria
US president warns Moscow to prepare for missile strikes

Vasily Nebenzia: 'We may be standing on the verge of very grave and tragic events' © AP

Kathrin Hille in Moscow
President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned Russia to prepare for a US strike against Syria following the alleged chemical weapons attack in the country last week.

“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!” Mr Trump tweeted.

Mr Trump’s tweet marked a dramatic escalation in the war of words between the US and Russia over the alleged chemical weapons attack and raised concerns about the risk of military confrontation between the powers if the US decides to strike Syria.

French president Emmanuel Macron, who has spoken twice to Mr Trump since the attack, on Wednesday suggested that Washington and its allies had already decided to respond with military action, but were weighing the details of the operation.

Mr Trump, who has also discussed the issue with UK prime minister Theresa May, on Tuesday cancelled a visit to Latin America to oversee the response. Earlier in the week, he said he would make a decision on a possible strike within 24 to 48 hours.

Mr Trump’s tweet came the morning after Russia had warned Washington not to strike Syria, declaring that any assault would trigger “grave repercussions”.

On Tuesday, the US and its allies clashed with Russia at the UN over competing resolutions on a joint chemical weapons inspection mission for Syria.

Vasily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, warned at the security council that military action “could lead to grave repercussions”. Later he told the US: “I would once again implore you — refrain from those plans that you have in mind for Syria.”

Alexander Zasypkin, Russia’s envoy to Lebanon, late on Tuesday reminded the US that the head of the Russian military has said his forces in Syria would not only shoot down any missiles that threatened them but would target the source of the weapons.

“In case the lives of our soldiers are under threat, the armed forces of the Russian Federation will take retaliatory measures . . . against missiles and against the delivery vehicles used,” Valery Gerasimov, head of Russia’s armed forces, said in March.

Russia’s warnings came as the US, France and the UK were debating how to respond to allegations that Douma, a rebel holdout near the Syrian capital of Damascus had been attacked with chemical weapons, killing at least 40 people.

The heightened rhetoric between Russia and the west heightens the risk of a wider confrontation and raises the prospect of Russian forces directly targeting the US and allied warships, aircraft and submarines that would likely be involved in any action.

Russia has strengthened its naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean in recent months, according to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, and has powerful air defence systems as well as combat aircraft stationed in Syria. At the weekend, a Russian combat aircraft flew deliberately low over a French warship patrolling together with a US naval vessel off the Lebanese coast, according to Reuters.

While humanitarian aid groups and western governments have pointed the finger at Syria, Russia, which backs the regime of Bashar al-Assad, denies that a chemical weapons attack took place at all.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization demanded that Mr Assad allow its inspectors access the site of the alleged attack.

Separately, Russia said its military and the Syrian government would support an investigation team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) that was expected to arrive in Douma soon. The OPCW inspectors do not have a mandate to attribute blame only to test for chemical weapons.

Russia has been blocking attempts at a renewal of the joint inspection mission for chemical weapons in Syria since it expired last autumn. Most recently, Russia sponsored a proposal that insisted such a mission must have an invitation from the Syrian government, visit all sites in question and prove responsibility of an alleged perpetrator beyond any reasonable doubt — conditions that western diplomats argue would hamper the independence of such a mission.

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Mr Nebenzia suggested that the US and its allies did not want a real investigation, and might use the UNSC’s failure to adopt their proposal to justify military action.

“You say that we are very good at playing games. I’m not sure about that. But what we know for sure is that you’re good at making threats,” he said. “The threats that you are uttering now with regard to Syria must extremely worry all of us.”

On Wednesday buses continued to take rebel fighters and their families out of Douma. Just hours after the alleged attack, Jaish al-Islam, which controlled the town, brokered a deal through Russia to surrender in return for safe passage out of government-besieged eastern Ghouta.

Once the last fighters have been evacuated, the Syrian government will retake control of Douma. Some medical workers worry that the evidence of the attack could be diluted or destroyed in attempt to cover up the incident.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, wrapping up his first official visit to France, said Saudi Arabia would support a military operation in Syria. “If required by our alliance with our partners, we will be there,” he said, according to the French translation of his remarks spoken in Arabic