A day after Syria strikes, U.S. probing whether Russia took part in chemical attack
World
A day after Syria strikes, U.S. probing whether Russia took part in chemical attack
The U.S. is looking into whether Russia participated in the Syria chemical weapons attack that provoked President Trump’s airstrikes against the Assad government — a revelation that could have dramatic implications for relations between Washington and Moscow. On Friday, senior U.S. military officials said a drone belonging to Russia or Syria was seen hovering over the site of the chemical weapons attack after the assault earlier this week. Russia is one of Syria’s most important patrons and has long resisted U.S. efforts to push President Bashar Assad from power. The Trump administration sent conflicting messages about what the strikes signaled for the overall U.S. policy in Syria. White House officials said the assault was not a step toward deeper involvement in Syria’s civil war, though Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Washington was prepared to take further military action.
We are prepared to do more, but we hope that will not be necessary.
Ambassador Nikki Haley, speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council
The strikes — 59 missiles launched from the USS Ross and USS Porter — hit the government-controlled Shayrat air base in central Syria, where U.S. officials say the Syrian military planes that dropped the chemicals had taken off from. Assad’s office called the strike “foolish and irresponsible,” and Moscow announced a series of retaliatory steps, including plans to strengthen Syrian air defenses. But there was widespread praise from other nations, including Britain, Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In Washington, Republican leaders applauded Trump’s actions, despite the fact ta=hat president launched the strike without congressional authorization. U.S. officials said Russia’s military in Syria was informed about the strike beforehand to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis. A Syrian military source said its armed forces had also been warned in advance, without specifying by which party. Meanwhile, amid conflicting reports over the success of the strikes — and uncertainty over whether they represented a larger American plan or simply one high-profile action — Syrian warplanes took off from the same Shayrat air base less than 24 hours later to carry out new air strikes on rebel-held areas.
