Russia warns of serious consequences from U.S. strike in Syria

[rooster59]

Russia warns of serious consequences from U.S. strike in Syria

By Michelle Nichols, Andrew Osborn and Tom Perry

 

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land attack missile in Mediterranean Sea which U.S. Defense Department said was a part of cruise missile strike against Syria on April 7, 2017. Robert S. Price/Courtesy U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS

 

UNITED NATIONS/MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia warned on Friday that U.S. cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base could have "extremely serious" consequences, as President Donald Trump's first major foray into a foreign conflict opened up a rift between Moscow and Washington.

 

The warships USS Porter and USS Ross in the Mediterranean Sea launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat air base, which the Pentagon says was involved in a chemical weapons attack this week.

 

It was Trump's biggest foreign policy decision since taking office in January and the kind of direct intervention in Syria's six-year-old civil war his predecessor Barack Obama avoided.

 

The strikes were in reaction to what Washington says was a poison gas attack by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that killed at least 70 people in rebel-held territory. Syria denies it carried out the attack.

 

They catapulted Washington into confrontation with Russia, which has advisers on the ground aiding its close ally Assad.

 

"We strongly condemn the illegitimate actions by the U.S. The consequences of this for regional and international stability could be extremely serious,” Russia's deputy U.N. envoy, Vladimir Safronkov, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday.

 

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev charged that the U.S. strikes were one step away from clashing with Russia's military.

 

U.S. officials informed Russian forces ahead of the missile strikes and avoided hitting Russian personnel.

 

Satellite imagery suggests the base houses Russian special forces and helicopters, part of the Kremlin's effort to help Assad fight Islamic State and other militant groups.

 

Trump has frequently urged improved relations with Russia, strained under Obama over Syria, Ukraine and other issues, was hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Thursday night when the attack occurred.

 

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, in Florida with Trump, said on Friday the United States would announce additional sanctions on Syria in the near future but offered no specifics.

 

Russia's Defence Ministry responded to the attack by calling in the U.S. military attache in Moscow to say that at midnight Moscow time (5 p.m. EDT) it would close down a communications line used to avoid accidental clashes between Russian and U.S. forces in Syria, Interfax new agency said. U.S. warplanes frequently attack Islamic State militants in Syria and come close to Russian forces.

 

"PREPARED TO DO MORE"

 

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Friday the Trump administration was ready to take further steps if needed.

 

"We are prepared to do more, but we hope that will not be necessary," she told the U.N. Security Council. "The United States will not stand by when chemical weapons are used. It is in our vital national security interest to prevent the spread and use of chemical weapons."

 

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who also was in Florida with Trump and is scheduled to go to Moscow next week, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the Russian reaction because it showed continued support for Assad.

 

Iran, which supports Assad and has been criticized by Trump, condemned the strike, with President Hassan Rouhani saying it would bring "only destruction and danger to the region and the globe."

 

U.S. officials called the intervention a "one-off" intended to deter future chemical weapons attacks and not an expansion of the U.S. role in the Syrian war.

 

U.S. allies from Asia, Europe and the Middle East expressed support for the attack, if sometimes cautiously.

 

The action is likely to be interpreted as a signal to Russia, and countries such as North Korea, China and Iran where Trump has faced foreign policy tests early in his presidency, of his willingness to use force.

 

The United States is now likely to be more aggressive in pursuing intelligence about Syria's suspected chemical weapons program. The Pentagon has also signalled interest in determining any Russian complicity.

 

"At a minimum, the Russians failed to rein in the Syrian regime activity," a senior U.S. military official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

The official also said the United States had been unable to determine if a Russian or Syrian aircraft bombed a hospital that was treating victims of the chemical attack.

 

Russia joined the war on Assad's behalf in 2015, turning the momentum in his favour. Although Moscow supports opposing sides in the war between Assad and rebels, the United States and Russia say they share a single main enemy, Islamic State.

 

Tillerson said the strike took out about 20 percent of the seventh wing of the Syrian air force and hit a fuelling facility. The base's runway was still in use.

 

Assad's office said Syria would strike its enemies harder.

 

Damascus and Moscow denied Syrian forces were behind the gas attack but Western countries dismissed their explanation that chemicals leaked from a rebel weapons depot after an air strike.

 

The Syrian army said the U.S. attack killed six people and called it "blatant aggression" that made the United States a partner of "terrorist groups" including Islamic State. There was no independent confirmation of civilian casualties.

 

U.S. lawmakers from both parties on Friday backed Trump's action but demanded he spell out a broader strategy for dealing with the conflict and consult with Congress on any further action.

 

The U.N. Security Council had been negotiating a resolution, proposed by the United States, France and Britain on Tuesday, to condemn the gas attack and push the Syrian government to cooperate with international investigators.

 

Russia said the text was unacceptable and diplomats said it was unlikely to be put to a vote.

 

MOSCOW WANTS EXPLANATION

 

Russia expects Tillerson to explain Washington's stance when he visits Moscow next week, Interfax news agency cited a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman as saying.

 

Washington has long backed rebels fighting Assad in a multi-sided civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and driven half of Syrians from their homes since 2011.

 

The United States has conducted air strikes against Islamic State, which controls territory in eastern and northern Syria, and a small number of U.S. troops are helping rebel militias.

 

Asked whether the strikes set back any efforts to work with Russia to defeat Islamic State, sometimes known as ISIS, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said:

"There can be a shared commitment to defeat ISIS and also agree that you can’t gas your own people.”

 

Tuesday's attack was the first time since 2013 that Syria was accused of using sarin, a banned nerve agent it was meant to have given up under a Russian-brokered, U.N.-enforced deal that persuaded Obama to call off air strikes four years ago.

 

Video depicted limp bodies and children choking while rescuers tried to wash off the poison gas. Russian state television blamed rebels and did not show footage of victims.

 

The U.S. strikes cheered Assad's enemies, after months when Western powers appeared to grow increasingly resigned to his staying in power. But opposition figures said an isolated assault was far from the decisive intervention they seek.

 

Neither the Trump administration nor its predecessor has laid out a policy aimed at ending the Syrian conflict.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-08

[dunroaming]

Interesting to see how this pans out.  With Putin and Trump and their egos  it could be a case of who loses face first.

[alocacoc]

Vladimir Putin sends Russian frigate to Mediterranean to confront US ships which rained bombs on Syrian runway

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/vladimir-putin-sends-russian-frigate-10180401

[FitnessHealthTravel]

44 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Interesting to see how this pans out.  With Putin and Trump and their egos  it could be a case of who loses face first.

'Loses face first' you've been in Asia too long mate!

[FitnessHealthTravel]

<deleted> Russia. I agree with Spicer, you can't use Chemical weapons against your own people or others and I am sure Russia can agree to that. They can also agree to defeating ISIS. If not, bring it on.  I am sure the US is well and truly ready for anything or anyone. At least there is someone in the White House that knows how to act.  Obama was a complete waste of time and set the west, especially the US back decades.  There is NO WAY China would have the might it has today without Obama rolling over on all their thieving policies and under valuing currencies. I lived there, I saw it year in year out. They were laughing at the US the whole time while saying 'we love Obama' because he is stupid and we get away with anything we want.  NOT ANYMORE!  

[ilostmypassword]

On 4/8/2017 at 8:19 PM, FitnessHealthTravel said:

<deleted> Russia. I agree with Spicer, you can't use Chemical weapons against your own people or others and I am sure Russia can agree to that. They can also agree to defeating ISIS. If not, bring it on.  I am sure the US is well and truly ready for anything or anyone. At least there is someone in the White House that knows how to act.  Obama was a complete waste of time and set the west, especially the US back decades.  There is NO WAY China would have the might it has today without Obama rolling over on all their thieving policies and under valuing currencies. I lived there, I saw it year in year out. They were laughing at the US the whole time while saying 'we love Obama' because he is stupid and we get away with anything we want.  NOT ANYMORE!  

Trump vowed on his first day in office to declare China a currency manipulator. Still waiting on that one.

[JHolmesJr]

5 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

Trump vowed on his first day in office to declare China a currency manipulator. Still waiting on that one.

First you feed the cow, then you slaughter it…..Xi has just finished his banquet at Mar A Lago…..all in good time.

[ilostmypassword]

16 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

First you feed the cow, then you slaughter it…..Xi has just finished his banquet at Mar A Lago…..all in good time.

Apparently, you didn't quite get it. Trump vowed on his first day in office to declare China. He broke his promise.

[alocacoc]

CNN reports :
Syria strikes: Site of chemical attack hit again

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[boomerangutang]

                    Trump is all over the map.  He has no policy.  It's all shoot-from-the-hip.  Statements he made months ago directly contradict statements he's making now.

 

                 A few days ago, Sec.of State Tillerson said sleepily, that the Syrians should decide what's best for Syrians.  Now he's touting a different line. Like Trump, he can't complete a sentence without grammatical errors.   

 

                  I've decided to coin a new term;  hyper-hippo.   It's a step beyond 'hypocritical'   It describes all Republican politicians.   They lie so often, it's hard to pick the best one of the week, but here's my vote:   Two days ago, while politicians were discussing 'the nuclear option' re; the Supreme Court nominee; Gorsuch. McCain asserted; "Anyone Claiming the Nuclear Option Is Good For Senate Is A 'Stupid Idiot'"  

 

Then, surprise, surprise, McCain voted like a sheep for the 'Nuclear Option' re; Gorsuch.  Now we can call McCain a stupid idiot, USING HIS OWN DEFINITION!     .....and McCain is head and shoulders better than anyone in Trump's inner circle.  Go figure.

[alocacoc]

                    Trump is all over the map.  He has no policy.  It's all shoot-from-the-hip.  

What's wrong with that? It's America. I love the old wild western movies. Every US citizen should be proud of the president that he brings back the good old times.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

[jesimps]

36 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

                    Trump is all over the map.  He has no policy.  It's all shoot-from-the-hip.  Statements he made months ago directly contradict statements he's making now.

 

                 A few days ago, Sec.of State Tillerson said sleepily, that the Syrians should decide what's best for Syrians.  Now he's touting a different line. Like Trump, he can't complete a sentence without grammatical errors.   

 

                  I've decided to coin a new term;  hyper-hippo.   It's a step beyond 'hypocritical'   It describes all Republican politicians.   They lie so often, it's hard to pick the best one of the week, but here's my vote:   Two days ago, while politicians were discussing 'the nuclear option' re; the Supreme Court nominee; Gorsuch. McCain asserted; "Anyone Claiming the Nuclear Option Is Good For Senate Is A 'Stupid Idiot'"  

 

Then, surprise, surprise, McCain voted like a sheep for the 'Nuclear Option' re; Gorsuch.  Now we can call McCain a stupid idiot, USING HIS OWN DEFINITION!     .....and McCain is head and shoulders better than anyone in Trump's inner circle.  Go figure.

Hypothetical situation. You are the POTUS, would you telegraph your true thoughts to the Syrian regime and the Russians? 

 

I don't particularly agree with the US missile strike, I think we should just let the muslims get on with with it. However, I can't fault him for not giving away his intentions in advance. And he won't, he's too shrewd a businessman for that.

 

One thing's for certain, he'll be damned for interfering and he'll have been damned if he hadn't.

 

 

[ilostmypassword]

13 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Hypothetical situation. You are the POTUS, would you telegraph your true thoughts to the Syrian regime and the Russians? 

 

I don't particularly agree with the US missile strike, I think we should just let the muslims get on with with it. However, I can't fault him for not giving away his intentions in advance. And he won't, he's too shrewd a businessman for that.

 

You mean like telling the Russians in advance about the Tomahawk strike? Oh, wait, he already did that.

[Stargeezr]

Showing Syria and Assad and Putin that chemical warfare will not betolerated, and doing it with a missle strike was the right thing to do. Putin and Assad  do not know about the  lets do the soft sell stuff.  I do believe that most world leader know about the hard sell stuff.  I hope that  the NK  leader  has  his  head  in the reality game  and is told by China to  stop  his provications as well.  Those cruise missles could also be used to take out his launch sites  if  he does not stop trying to get missles developed to send to other countries.

At least this latest chemical attack was not handled the way Obama handled the last one.

Geezer

[daveAustin]

8 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

You mean like telling the Russians in advance about the Tomahawk strike? Oh, wait, he already did that.

Well that is what is called a smart move (particularly where Russians are involved) and believe the member you are mocking is not what they were alluding to. They were replying to a previous poster regards the chopping and changing in policy and not showing one's hand. In addition, the slaughter of kids via chemical weapons is a bit of a game-changer, no? 

 

Anyway, some of you smart-alecs on here are missing the point and the topic, which is the Russian bluster. Whenever they talk of the illegitimacy of another and you put that against everything they have been doing these last few years, you have to chuckle to yourself. As much as I admire Putin (sometimes), they are just bigging themselves up because they have been embarrassed by the big dog.

[craigt3365]

1 minute ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Showing Syria and Assad and Putin that chemical warfare will not betolerated, and doing it with a missle strike

was the right thing to do. Putin and Assad  do not know about the  lets do the soft sell stuff.  I do believe that most

world leader know about the hard sell stuff.  I hope that  the NK  leader  has  his  head  in the reality game  and

is told by China to  stop  his provications as well.  Those cruise missles could also be used to take out his 

launch sites  if  he does not stop trying to get missles developed to send to other countries.

At least this latest chemical attack was not handled the way Obama handled the last one.

Geezer

Not that I'm an Obama supporter, but he was hamstrung by congress on what he could do in Syria.  Can't blame him for all the failures there.  The blame lies with the dysfunctional political system in the US.  IMHO.

[daveAustin]

1 minute ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Showing Syria and Assad and Putin that chemical warfare will not betolerated, and doing it with a missle strike

was the right thing to do. Putin and Assad  do not know about the  lets do the soft sell stuff.  I do believe that most

world leader know about the hard sell stuff.  I hope that  the NK  leader  has  his  head  in the reality game  and

is told by China to  stop  his provications as well.  Those cruise missles could also be used to take out his 

launch sites  if  he does not stop trying to get missles developed to send to other countries.

At least this latest chemical attack was not handled the way Obama handled the last one.

Geezer

Indeed, regards the issues in the East, it was a shrewd move, and with Xi 'in the house' at the time. 

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Well that is what is called a smart move (particularly where Russians are involved) and believe the member you are mocking is not what they were alluding to. They were replying to a previous poster regards the chopping and changing in policy and not showing one's hand. In addition, the slaughter of kids via chemical weapons is a bit of a game-changer, no? 

 

Anyway, some of you smart-alecs on here are missing the point and the topic, which is the Russian bluster. Whenever they talk of the illegitimacy of another and you put that against everything they have been doing these last few years, you have to chuckle to yourself. As much as I admire Putin (sometimes), they are just bigging themselves up because they have been embarrassed by the big dog.

Whereas the slaughter of children via barrel bombs isn't a game changer?

Syrian jets are already back at bombing the opposition presumably including children.  Let's say that Trump pulls a Bush and actually invades and unseats Assad.  So now we will have Isis or something similar in charge. Unlike Assad, Isis wants to expand its rule to all of the middle east.  So what's the big dog's plan to put a stop to that short of occupying Syria?

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, TomTC said:

and.. http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/04/06/swedish-medical-associations-says-white-helmets-murdered-kids-for-fake-gas-attack-videos/

Right... that's fake news.

 

Here is a statement from the association
"

Statement by Swedish Doctors for Human Rights on misrepresentations referred in Veterans Today

2swedhrRR / 15 hours ago

The site Veterans today published and article with the title “Swedish Medical Associations Says White Helmets Murdered Kids for Fake Gas Attack Videos”. This formulation is utterly inaccurate and do not represent our position on the issue, neither what SWEDHR is as independent NGO organization of human rights, nor the conclusions reached by the doctors examining the White Helmets videos."

 

http://reports.swedhr.org/statement-by-swedish-doctors-for-human-rights-on-misrepresentation-referred-in-veterans-today/

[Guest]

12 hours ago, alocacoc said:

What's wrong with that? It's America. I love the old wild western movies. Every US citizen should be proud of the president that he brings back the good old times.

If you consider 1800's good old times, you might actually get what you want. We are far too close to the midnight.

 

[ilostmypassword]

26 minutes ago, TomTC said:

and.. http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/04/06/swedish-medical-associations-says-white-helmets-murdered-kids-for-fake-gas-attack-videos/

 

6 minutes ago, oilinki said:

Right... that's fake news.

 

Here is a statement from the association
"

Statement by Swedish Doctors for Human Rights on misrepresentations referred in Veterans Today

2swedhrRR / 15 hours ago

The site Veterans today published and article with the title “Swedish Medical Associations Says White Helmets Murdered Kids for Fake Gas Attack Videos”. This formulation is utterly inaccurate and do not represent our position on the issue, neither what SWEDHR is as independent NGO organization of human rights, nor the conclusions reached by the doctors examining the White Helmets videos."

 

http://reports.swedhr.org/statement-by-swedish-doctors-for-human-rights-on-misrepresentation-referred-in-veterans-today/

Given Ollinki's citation, I'm sure you'll do the honorable thing and acknowledge that what you posted is false.

[nobU eoJ]

Putin and Russia are beginning to sound a lot like that mouth running crazy fat kid from N. Korea,, all big talk, no action which no one takes too seriously and has a good laugh.

[joecoolfrog]

On 4/8/2017 at 8:19 PM, FitnessHealthTravel said:

<deleted> Russia. I agree with Spicer, you can't use Chemical weapons against your own people or others and I am sure Russia can agree to that. They can also agree to defeating ISIS. If not, bring it on.  I am sure the US is well and truly ready for anything or anyone. At least there is someone in the White House that knows how to act.  Obama was a complete waste of time and set the west, especially the US back decades.  There is NO WAY China would have the might it has today without Obama rolling over on all their thieving policies and under valuing currencies. I lived there, I saw it year in year out. They were laughing at the US the whole time while saying 'we love Obama' because he is stupid and we get away with anything we want.  NOT ANYMORE!  

But didn't Trump say endlessly that Obama should NOT escalate the crisis , didn't Trump call HC a warmonger for advocating air strikes , didn't his entire campaign stress the need for non intervention. Isn't he in fact just a huge , self serving chancer who will flip flop at whim if it suits his agenda ?

[joecoolfrog]

On Saturday, April 08, 2017 at 2:35 PM, JHolmesJr said:

First you feed the cow, then you slaughter it…..Xi has just finished his banquet at Mar A Lago…..all in good time.

Yeh he first needs the contracts to erect a series of Trump Towers from Beijing to Shanghai.

[joecoolfrog]

14 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Showing Syria and Assad and Putin that chemical warfare will not betolerated, and doing it with a missle strike

was the right thing to do. Putin and Assad  do not know about the  lets do the soft sell stuff.  I do believe that most

world leader know about the hard sell stuff.  I hope that  the NK  leader  has  his  head  in the reality game  and

is told by China to  stop  his provications as well.  Those cruise missles could also be used to take out his 

launch sites  if  he does not stop trying to get missles developed to send to other countries.

At least this latest chemical attack was not handled the way Obama handled the last one.

Geezer

Trump advised Obama strongly NOT to intervene , he called HC a warmonger for advocating air strikes , he campaigned against intervention , will he now ( because nothing has changed ) admit he was WRONG !

[Morch]

11 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

Whereas the slaughter of children via barrel bombs isn't a game changer?

Syrian jets are already back at bombing the opposition presumably including children.  Let's say that Trump pulls a Bush and actually invades and unseats Assad.  So now we will have Isis or something similar in charge. Unlike Assad, Isis wants to expand its rule to all of the middle east.  So what's the big dog's plan to put a stop to that short of occupying Syria?

 

Only Trump isn't going to pull-a-Bush. There wasn't any similar Russian presence in Iraq. And no, I do not really think that Trump will start a World War (but granted, some posters are well into that).

 

Ignoring the above impediment, removal of Assad does not directly imply ISIS victory. For those who haven't noticed, ISIS is taking a beating on all fronts. Having Assad in the picture is not quite an essential part with regard to fighting ISIS.

 

Not having a plan for what happens if Assad is deposed is one thing. That there isn't much of a plan for how Syria will look like, post-war,  with Assad - is another. Assuming that Assad could keep it all together is a maybe.

 

 

 

[ilostmypassword]

21 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Only Trump isn't going to pull-a-Bush. There wasn't any similar Russian presence in Iraq. And no, I do not really think that Trump will start a World War (but granted, some posters are well into that).

 

Ignoring the above impediment, removal of Assad does not directly imply ISIS victory. For those who haven't noticed, ISIS is taking a beating on all fronts. Having Assad in the picture is not quite an essential part with regard to fighting ISIS.

 

Not having a plan for what happens if Assad is deposed is one thing. That there isn't much of a plan for how Syria will look like, post-war,  with Assad - is another. Assuming that Assad could keep it all together is a maybe.

 

 

The only serious opposition to Assad is coming from Sunni extremists. So, if you don't want to put your money on ISIS, there's always Al-Nusra. Not much difference.

[Andaman Al]

Well when a war between superpowers kicks off you know who to blame.

 

I just new it !!!

 

Quote

Ivanka Trump 'pushed for her father to bomb Syria'

 

 

Quote

Donald Trump’s daughter persuaded him to strike targets in Syria, according to reports of a diplomatic memo.

 

A cable briefing to Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson by Britain’s ambassador to Washington Sir Kim Darroch said Ms Trump was influential in bringing about the bombings, those who saw the memo said.

 

Sources who read the message said the first daughter's position on the atrocity was a “significant influence in the Oval Office”. Ministers were told it meant the administration’s reaction was “stronger than expected”.

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ivanka-trump-donald-bomb-air-strikes-sir-kim-darroch-syria-chemical-attack-sarin-idlib-province-a7674951.html

 

Absolutely great. First steps to a war between super powers by the Daughter whose only experience is in copying other designers lines of shoes and clothes. Well done Trump voters, you have responsibility for this.

[Morch]

On 4/9/2017 at 10:43 PM, ilostmypassword said:

The only serious opposition to Assad is coming from Sunni extremists. So, if you don't want to put your money on ISIS, there's always Al-Nusra. Not much difference.

 

Last I checked Kurds weren't supportive of either Assad or Sunni extremists. But even if you wish to over-simply things, there this: Assad himself is not a necessity. He's a failure even as a brutal dictator. An alternative strongmen could be supported instead, perhaps with less baggage.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

Last I checked Kurds weren't supportive of either Assad or Sunni extremists. But even if you wish to over-simply things, there this: Assad himself is not a necessity. He's a failure even as a brutal dictator. An alternative strongmen could be supported instead, perhaps with less baggage.

No, they're not supportive of Assad but their aims are limited.  Basically, they want to wrest away some territory for themselves. And General Mattis is very much against using them as catspaws to overthrow Assad because they're not Arabs.