{"id":624,"date":"2018-04-14T15:03:53","date_gmt":"2018-04-14T13:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/?p=624"},"modified":"2018-04-13T15:05:55","modified_gmt":"2018-04-13T13:05:55","slug":"syria-crisis-us-concerned-military-strike-would-escalate-out-of-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/?p=624","title":{"rendered":"Syria crisis: US concerned military strike would &#8216;escalate out of control&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>James Mattis, the US defense secretary, has said Washington is still looking for evidence on who carried out Saturday\u2019s chemical weapons attack in Damascus and that his main concern about a military response was how to stop it \u201cescalating out of control\u201d.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 1\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-dead--item rich-link--pillar-news\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__header\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Donald Trump consulted his top national security advisers on a US response but the White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said on Thursday \u201cno final decision has been taken\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>According to the\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/04\/12\/us\/politics\/trump-syria-attack.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=photo-spot-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">New York Times<\/a>, Mattis appealed at the meeting for more time to gather evidence to prove the Assad regime was responsible for the attack. But the administration appeared determined to deliver on the president\u2019s threat to punish the use of poison gas.<\/p>\n<p>After the White House meeting, Trump called the British prime minister, Theresa May, and the two leaders agreed that \u201cit was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>French president Emmanuel Macron said that his government had \u201cproof\u201d that the government of Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the attack,\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/apr\/11\/syria-douma-patients-chemical-attack-symptoms-who\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">which is reported<\/a>\u00a0to have killed about 50 people and affected hundreds more.<\/p>\n<p>NBC and CNN quoted US officials as saying that blood and urine samples from the victims of Saturday\u2019s attack showed traces of chlorine and a nerve agent, and that US intelligence had other evidence pointing to the regime\u2019s culpability, which would be presented to the president.<\/p>\n<p>Trump himself appeared to walk back an earlier threat of an imminent attack.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday,\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/apr\/11\/kremlin-us-strike-against-syria-heighten-instability\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the president tweeted<\/a>\u00a0that US missiles \u201cwill be coming\u201d and told Russia, which has forces in Syria, to \u201cget ready\u201d. But the next morning,\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realDonaldTrump\/status\/984374422587965440\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Trump tweeted<\/a>\u00a0that he \u201cnever said when an attack on Syria would take place\u201d. An attack, the president said \u201ccould be very soon or not so soon at all!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Analysts said the more measured tone suggested that the US and allies were prepared to take longer to ready a more comprehensive attack than the US missile salvo launched last April after a previous poison gas attack, while building pressure on\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/russia\" data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Russia<\/a>\u00a0to rein in the regime\u2019s worst atrocities and accept Assad\u2019s departure as part of a Syrian political settlement.<\/p>\n<p>At the UN, the Russian envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, said Russia\u2019s \u201cimmediate priority is to avert the danger of war\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Asked if he was referring to a war between the United States and Russia, Nebenzia told reporters: \u201cWe cannot exclude any possibilities unfortunately because we saw messages that are coming from Washington. They were very bellicose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nebenzia added: \u201cThe danger of escalation is higher than simply\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/syria\" data-link-name=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Syria<\/a>\u00a0because our military are there. So the situation is very dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In testimony to the House armed services committee, Mattis voiced similar concerns, saying \u201con a strategic level, it\u2019s how do we keep this from escalating out of control, if you get my drift on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mattis said he believed chemical weapons had been used, but \u201cwe are looking for evidence\u201d on who was responsible. Trump has blamed Assad and Russia for backing him.<\/p>\n<p>Macron, who has\u00a0<a class=\"u-underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/apr\/10\/will-emmanuel-macron-enforce-red-line-syria-chemical-attack\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">repeatedly insisted\u00a0<\/a>that proven use of chemical weapons in Syria was a \u201cred line\u201d for France, said on Thursday that his government would decide its response \u201cin due course\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have the proof that last week chemical weapons were used \u2013 at least chlorine \u2013 and that they were used by the Assad regime,\u201d Macron told a TV interviewer.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"img-2\" class=\"element element-image img--landscape element--showcase  fig--narrow-caption fig--has-shares \" data-component=\"image\" data-media-id=\"f2ee39dc84fde512dc5b05b0071159609e040413\"><figcaption class=\"caption caption--img caption caption--img\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element-rich-link--tag element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link-tag\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-tag\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-news--item rich-link--pillar-news\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more-text\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The French president said one of his aims in Syria was to \u201cremove the regime\u2019s chemical attack capabilities\u201d once all information had been checked.<\/p>\n<p>He he added: \u201cFrance will in no way allow an escalation or anything that would harm regional stability, but we cannot allow regimes that believe they can act with impunity to violate international law in the worst possible way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In London, the cabinet emerged from a discussion on Syria, and put out a statement saying it had agreed\u00a0<em>\u201c<\/em>that the Assad regime has a track record of the use of chemical weapons and it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday\u2019s attack\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime,\u201d the statement from Downing Street said.<\/p>\n<p>Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were due to arrive in Damascus on Thursday, but they are not due to visit the site of the attack \u2013 until Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Mattis said repeatedly he believed use of chemical weapons was \u201cinexcusable\u201d and required a forceful response.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about a legal justification for punitive strikes, he pointed to the presence of US troops in Syria, who could be vulnerable. He said: \u201cWe don\u2019t have to wait until a chemical attack, when [chemical weapons] are be used in the same theatre we are operating in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia and the US were currently using a \u201cdeconfliction\u201d telephone line for Syria.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Pompeo, the CIA director and Trump\u2019s pick for secretary of state, appeared to affirm at his confirmation hearing reports that about 200 Russian mercenaries were killed in a February clash with US-led forces in Syria. The deconfliction line between the US and Russian militaries was used during that incident.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"element element-atom element-atom--media\" data-atom-id=\"7fe85579-159c-439a-b3c8-eadf406664a3\" data-atom-type=\"media\"><figcaption class=\"caption caption--img caption caption--img\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, says that the US and its allies appeared to be preparing a more comprehensive assault on the sinews of Assad powers than the single Tomahawk missile barrage against a Syrian airbase last year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are going to conduct a campaign that goes beyond the strike in April, you need to plan out who does what,\u201d Heras said. \u201cWhat are the range of targets and who is responsible for putting a bomb on them? If they are going to do saturation strikes, they have to go after the air defences so that planes can come in to do really specific targeting. The more planes you see in the battlespace the more clear it will be a multiple-day deep targeted campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Heras said that the deliberative approach is also aimed at ratcheting up pressure on Vladimir Putin, to end his unstinting support of Assad.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are trying to give time for Russia to come to the conclusion that the US and France and UK are serious,\u201d he said. \u201cTrump has entered his hard negotiation phase and is personally pissed off with Putin about this. He is asking: what are you doing to put Assad to heel and put him into retirement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There were signs that Moscow was preparing for a missile strike. Satellite images released by the Israeli company ImageSat International showed ships had been deployed from Russia\u2019s naval base in the Syrian city of Tartus.<\/p>\n<p>Source\u00a0https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/apr\/12\/syria-deconfliction-hotline-in-use-by-russia-and-us-says-kremlin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Mattis, the US defense secretary, has said Washington is still looking for evidence on who carried out Saturday\u2019s chemical weapons attack in Damascus and that his main concern about a military response was how to stop it \u201cescalating out of control\u201d. Donald Trump consulted his top national security advisers on a US response but [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=624"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":626,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624\/revisions\/626"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/britishdailynews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}