ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – US President Donald Trump said he would make a decision in the next 24 to 48 hours about how to respond to the reported chemical weapon attack on Syria’s rebel-held Douma neighbourhood.
“It was atrocious. It was horrible,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “This is about humanity and it can’t be allowed to happen.”
“If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out,” he added.
US Secretary of State James Mattis had earlier questioned how the attack could have taken place with Russia serving as guarantor for the removal of the banned weapons from Syria.
“The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all the chemical weapons,” Mattis said, adding that the US would work with allies and NATO partners to address the issue.
“I don’t rule out anything right now,” he said when asked about the possibility of airstrikes.
In April 2017, the US launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria’s Shayrat airbase after a reported chemical weapon attack on Khan Sheikhoun.
Russia has blamed Israel for air strikes on Syria’s T-4 airbase early Sunday morning.
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss a response to the attack in Douma.
The United States has drafted a resolution to establish a new independent inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria and identify those responsible, AFP reported.
At least 48 people were killed in an alleged chlorine gas attack on Saturday in Douma, the last rebel-held neighbourhood of Eastern Ghouta.
Moscow and Damascus have both denied using chemical weapons.
“It was atrocious. It was horrible,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “This is about humanity and it can’t be allowed to happen.”
“If it’s the Russians, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out,” he added.
US Secretary of State James Mattis had earlier questioned how the attack could have taken place with Russia serving as guarantor for the removal of the banned weapons from Syria.
“The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all the chemical weapons,” Mattis said, adding that the US would work with allies and NATO partners to address the issue.
“I don’t rule out anything right now,” he said when asked about the possibility of airstrikes.
In April 2017, the US launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at Syria’s Shayrat airbase after a reported chemical weapon attack on Khan Sheikhoun.
Russia has blamed Israel for air strikes on Syria’s T-4 airbase early Sunday morning.
The United Nations Security Council will meet on Monday to discuss a response to the attack in Douma.
The United States has drafted a resolution to establish a new independent inquiry into chemical weapons attacks in Syria and identify those responsible, AFP reported.
At least 48 people were killed in an alleged chlorine gas attack on Saturday in Douma, the last rebel-held neighbourhood of Eastern Ghouta.
Moscow and Damascus have both denied using chemical weapons.
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