Tyler Durden
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Via Zerohedge…
We warned previously that something big is coming in Syria as the final showdown for al-Qaeda held Idlib looms with the Syrian Army and Russian aerial and naval forces taking position.
Pentagon and US officials continue pushing the gambit, setting the stage to play the “Assad is gassing his own people” card should so much as an inkling of a White Helmets allegation emerge, in an unprecedented level of telegraphing intentions for leverage on the battlefield.
And right on cue CNN has ramped up its coverage over the past of week of the “last rebel-held stronghold” in Syria, sending a hijab-covered reporter into the territory under rebel permission to interview civilians which CNN says Assad seeks to wipe out, possibly through sarin or other chemical attack.
Except the “rebel” coalition in control of this major “final holdout” is but the latest incarnation of al-Qaeda, calling itself Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and has held the province, the capital city of which is Idlib city, since a successful Western and Gulf ally sponsored attack on the area in 2015.
From National Security Advisor John Bolton’s statements last week to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “warning” to his Russian counterpart to Tuesday’s State Department press briefing, where spokeswoman Heather Nauert reiterated reiterated to reporters the United States “will respond to any verified chemical weapons use in Idlib or elsewhere in Syria … in a swift and appropriate manner”…
It now appears the US stands ready to respond militarily to even the most unlikely and flimsiest of accusations.
And why wouldn’t Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militants, now surrounded by Syrian and Russian forces and facing imminent defeat, redeem what’s essentially the US offer to “call in the Air Force” against Assad’s army? All they have to do is utter the words “chemical weapons attack!” to their friends in the Western media.
The Idlib campaign is predicted to be the bloodiest and longest grinding final battle of the war, and what should by now be obvious to all is this: Assad, on the verge of total victory has absolutely no incentive whatsoever to commit the one act that would ensure his own demise after arguably barely surviving seven years of war.
And at the same time the HTS/AQ “rebels” have every incentive to bring to fruition what US officials have this week so clearly laid out for them.
After all, it’s happened before in Idlib, with not so much as an on-the-ground investigation to collect evidence to back the claim (usually the minimal investigative threshold for the UN and OPCW), as occurred in the April 2017 Khan Sheikhoun claimed “sarin attack” incident, which resulted in the first time President Trump ordered airstrikes on Syria. To this day the international chemical investigative body and watchdog, the OPCW, has yet to visit the site due to its being controlled by al-Qaeda forces.
Nauert said further on Tuesday that senior U.S. officials have engaged with their Russian counterparts “to make this point very clear to Damascus” — that chemical weapons “will not be tolerated” — and could meet with massive military response. She also repeated that Assad would be held responsible.
Meanwhile Russia has cited its own intelligence saying that Syrian armed groups in Idlib are preparing for a staged chemical provocation, which Moscow says the West will use to justify a strike against Syrian government forces.
Speaking to Newsweek on Monday, Syria analyst Joshua Landis said that there is every reason to doubt the veracity of past rebel claims regarding government chemical weapons usage — a surprising admission given his prominence as speaking from within the heart of the media foreign policy establishment.
Landis said, “I don’t know what to make of the U.S. and Russian war of words over the potential use of chemical weapons in Idlib. The final reports on the use of chemical weapons in Ghouta were not definitive.”
“There was no evidence found for the use of nerve agents, but controversy over the use of chlorine gas. The rebels had reason to carry out a false flag operation, as the regime and Russians suggested, but the regime refused to let U.N. inspectors in to test for chemical weapons until after a lengthy delay, which was suspicious,” he concluded.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
An excuse for Trump to Bomb Bashir’s own people.
The Syrians should make an announcement that their planes will not take part in the Idlib operation & leave it to Russian planes alone. Any fake gas attack cant then be pinned on Assad – no one would believe Russia used gas.
The usual bluster, expect a few missiles to be allowed to hit derelict buildings or land in the desert with the rest shot down … followed by the usual US declared celebration of “100% of missiles hit the designated targets” … they cannot change the situation on the ground, and they know it. Kia kaha brave SAA & allies.
The Deep state knows that if Bashir takes Idlib that Syria will be free of American interference . As a consequence Israel will have to stop the arming pf Hezbollah
by its self, which means Israel will be bombing Bashir’s Own People!!
what i want to know will the Russian army assist in defending the syrian army from this bogus unfounded attack if it happens? If its not the americans it is the isr@elies or the turkish or ISIS who are attacking syria and its people for no real reason but self interest but what is russias game here ? So the cycle seems to be, russia help assad eliminate terrorist and get the country back under control, assad close to winning , false flag chemical attack by US and its puppets , bomb syrian army and assets, rinse and repeat ….… Read more »
I expect to read that the U.S. Navy war convoy has been blown to bits and sunk by a barrage of 100s of those low-altitude cruise missiles that Russia and China will use (and which the USA has none) to defeat the USA in any conventional war in retaliation for the USA’s arrogance and daily worldwide Crimes Against Humanity. Sooner or later … for a realistic scenario of just this happening, with all kinds of technical language included, read: “Twilight’s Last Gleaming”, the only book so far I’ve read that described the collapse and disintegration of the USA into revolution,… Read more »
sad, but putin will not lift a finger when syria is attacked again, n.a.t.o and it’s master israel can do whatever they want to syria.
US Rejects Russia’s Data on Chemical Weapons Provocations in Syria – Lavrov… https://sputniknews.com/world/201808291067566254-us-russia-info/ Not forgetting the tweets, from the Syrian MP, who is trying to highlight the case of the kidnapped children, taken hostage from The White Helmets, in order to be used in the ‘false flag’. How many ships, plus, submarines has Russia sent to Syria, including the new arrivals? EURASIADEFENSE VIDEO: Will Onyx Missile Launch By Russia Send The ‘MESSAGE” To The U.S What AWAITS Them In SYRIA?… https://www.fort-russ.com/2018/08/video-will-onyx-missile-launch-by-russia-send-the-message-to-the-u-s-what-awaits-them-in-syria/ RUSSIAN NORTHERN FLEET’S NAVAL GROUP HOLDS DRILLS NEAR SYRIA… https://theduran.mystagingwebsite.com/us-pushing-the-gambit-in-syria-something-big-is-coming-as-officials-ramp-up-threats/ Interesting: US state secretary requests meeting with Lavrov during… Read more »
Newsweek, Syria analyst Joshua Landis writes, “but the regime refused to let OPCW inspectors in to test for chemical weapons until after a lengthy delay, which was suspicious,” he concluded.”
Thats a lie, the OPCW inspectors where stuck in Damaskus after arriving, first because of the US/UK/France strike, second because the UN body after the strike, did not give the green light to the OPCW to inspect, because of militant snipers at the site who had to be eliminated first.
Neocons need war so they can profit by it. Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and now Syria. American taxpayers will never understand that. After Syria comes Iran.
They certainly stick to the tried and trusted (BS) script…….how do they keep a straight face?
The spirit of Insane McCain has possessed Washington.
It must be nuked to save the planet.
The US has lost all right and reason to exist.
‘the United States “will respond to any verified chemical weapons use in Idlib or elsewhere in Syria”‘
That’s OK then. There has never been a *verified* chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government, and there never will be.
Chemical weapons have often been used by the US-backed terrorists, though. And, if you include such weapons as napalm and white phosphorus, by the US itself.
The war mongers are desperate .They are losing in Syria and everywhere else they have invaded illegally .The USD is threatened by the Eurasian consortium and the US is trillions in debt that can never be realistically be paid back .They are playing their final card and that could very well be war .Freedom loving people have no choice in the matter but to support the destruction of the one nation that claims freedom and democracy but demonstrably proves itself otherwise and bullies the the whole world into submission . One has to wonder if this will be the event… Read more »
How about this?
“Any illegal attack on Russia’s ally, Syria, by any nation, will be met with a full spectrum response against that nation, up to and including thermo-nuclear weapons, on the territory of Syria or anywhere on the planet where that nation has military or other assets”
If, once again, the Syrian army is attacked by the U$ and its
allies on fabricated charges, Russia should respond forcefully and if
this leads to WW3, so be it! Enough is enough!