Officials don't know why White House made statement on possible chemical attack

[GennGreymane]

US defence officials 'have no idea’ why White House made statement on possible Syrian chemical attack

The White House has said it believes the Syrian government is planning a chemical weapons attack and warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that his government will “pay a heavy price” it it does so - but several US defence officials have said they are not familiar with the intelligence that informed the statement.

“The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children,” White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said on Monday, claiming the planning was similar in nature to the steps taken before the 4 April sarin gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens of civilians.

The incident prompted US President Donald Trump to launch a “one off” retaliatory cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base - the first direct intervention by the US in more than six years of the Syrian civil war.

“If... Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price,” Mr Spicer continued.

The Syrian government has consistently denied that it carried out the attack or that it possesses any chemical weapons after giving up its stocks to international inspectors in 2013.

White House officials did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations or what form US retaliation would take. Several sources across the US State Department, Pentagon and Central Command, which oversees the US’ military operations in Syria and Iraq - said that they did not know what had prompted the unprecedented threat to the Assad regime.

Officials at US Central Command told BuzzFeed News they had “no idea” what prompted the statement.

everal policy advisors at the State Department appeared not to have been briefed before the White House statement went out, learning about the news from reporters instead.

An intelligence officer familiar with the issue told Reuters that there had been “abnormal” activity at several sites where the Syrian government is suspected of hiding or creating new chemical weapons agents.

Although the intelligence was not considered conclusive, the administration issued the swift public warning about the consequences of another chemical attack in an attempt to deter such action, the official said.

Mr Trump himself, who took to Twitter shortly after the statement was published, did not address the threat made to Syria, talking instead about a Fox News report about former President Barack Obama’s failure to stop Russian interference in the 2016 general election.

The warning to the Syrian government comes three days after US Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for the international coalition against Isis, told reporters in Baghdad that the US would welcome concerted efforts from Syria and its Iranian and Russian allies to eliminate the extremists in the east of the country.

Tensions have escalated between the US and the Assad regime in the last three months after the retaliatory strike on a Homs air base and several mostly defensive actions against Syrian and Iranian forces and drones which have entered a de-escalation zone in the south east of the country home to a US training base.

(I have asked a mod to change the title.)



(original post)
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ntent=20170627

The White House announced Monday night that it sees signs that the Syrian government is preparing to launch another chemical weapons attack in its war against insurgents. The White House press office released this statement:

"The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children. The activities are similar to preparations the regime made before its April 4, 2017 chemical weapons attack.
"As we have previously stated, the United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price."

The statement refers to the April 4 airstrike by Syrian forces that, as the Two-Way reported, struck the "town of Khan Shaykhun [and] killed scores of people, including numerous children. Soon after the strike, experts said that victims' symptoms suggested a toxic chemical was used — specifically the potent nerve agent sarin."

President Trump responded by ordering strikes against the Syrian military with Tomahawk missiles, launched by U.S. ships in the Eastern Mediterranean against the Shayrat air base, where the U.S. said the planes that carried out a chemical weapons attack had originated. As we reported, the missiles targeted aircraft and aircraft shelters, ammunition, air defense systems and radars.
He announced the strikes in a speech in which he noted: "Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered at this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror."

Syrian President Bashar Assad later told the AFP news agency that the claims that a nerve agent was used were "100 percent ... fabrication" and he called videos of the suffering victims "fake."

The Russian government denounced the U.S. airstrikes against its ally, with the Kremlin spokesman calling the strikes "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law."

[Deleted]

Nice distraction attempt by the US. Guess their trying to get their Citizens to look at any place, other then the mess that is their Healthcare discussion and the ongoing investigations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...-a7809901.html

Several sources across the US State Department, Pentagon and Central Command, which oversees the US’ military operations in Syria and Iraq - said that they did not know what had prompted the unprecedented threat to the Assad regime.

Officials at US Central Command told BuzzFeed News they had “no idea” what prompted the statement.

[GennGreymane]

Nice distraction attempt by the US. Guess their trying to get their Citizens to look at any place, other then the mess that is their Healthcare discussion and the ongoing investigations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...-a7809901.html

Thank you sir and or ma'am

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@Skroe, thoughts?

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Seems it was all a distraction at this point

[Breccia]

Don't ninja my threads, @GennGreymane. The Horde always beats the Alliance to the punch.

[Wyrt]

Likely because they wanted a distraction from Trumpcare failing.

[33kamous3]

Hah, classic.

[Sunseeker]

What? A Republican White House made things up in order to justify military action against another nation and distract from internal problems? That's never happened before!

[Daelak]

US defence officials 'have no idea’ why White House made statement on possible Syrian chemical attack




(I have asked a mod to change the title.)



(original post)
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ntent=20170627

Because they are lying. They are failing at hiding their incompetence in governing. Big surprise republicans cannot govern.

[Haven]

A distraction? By the most honest government in the world? You must be trolls on Putin's payroll.