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U.S.: Assad is plotting chemical weapon attack in Idlib

Sep 9, 2018

WASHINGTON, U.S. – Following repeated threats from the White House, against the use of chemical weapons as Syria geared to clear its last rebel holdout of Idlib, now the U.S. has made a shocking claim.

The new U.S. adviser for Syria, Jim Jeffrey has stated that Washington has “lots of evidence” that chemical weapons are being prepared by Syrian government forces in Idlib.

Jeffrey, who is U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s special adviser on Syria, is currently overseeing talks on a political transition in the war-torn country.

He warned of the risks of an offensive on the country’s last big rebel enclave and said, “I am very sure that we have very, very good grounds to be making these warnings.”

Speaking to reporters on the situation in Syria, Jeffrey said, “Any offensive is to us objectionable as a reckless escalation. There is lots of evidence that chemical weapons are being prepared.”

Last week, in a stern warning, the White House said that the U.S. and its allies would respond “swiftly and vigorously” if government forces used chemical weapons in the Idlib offensive.

The U.S. President Donald Trump issued a direct warning to the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies Iran and Russia against launching an attack on Syria’s last rebel-held enclave.

Trump warned Assad against launching a “reckless attack,” claiming that any possible attack on the province would be a “grave humanitarian mistake.”

Trump wrote on Twitter, “President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!”

Even the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned against a chemical attack, and tweeted, “All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeapons”

The U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo tweeted, “Sergey Lavrov is defending Syrian and Russian assault on #Idlib. The Russians and Assad agreed not to permit this. The U.S sees this as an escalation of an already dangerous conflict.”

Pompeo added, “The 3 million Syrians, who have already been forced out of their homes and are now in #Idlib, will suffer from this aggression. Not good. The world is watching.”

Even France warned that there could be “disastrous consequences” if Syrian forces and their allies launch an assault on the Idlib.

However, responding to U.S. WARNINGS, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued a statement saying, “Just to speak out with some warnings, without taking into account the very dangerous, negative potential for the whole situation in Syria, is probably not a full, comprehensive approach.”

He added, “The presence of militants in Idlib was undermining the Syrian peace process and making the region a base for attacks on Russian forces in Syria.”

Peskov said, “A fairly large group of terrorists has settled there and of course this leads to a general destabilization of the situation. It undermines attempts to bring the situation onto the track of a political-diplomatic settlement. We know that Syria’s armed forces are preparing to resolve this problem.”

Meanwhile, Jeffrey said that an attack by Russian and Syrian forces, and the use of chemical weapons, would force huge refugee flows, adding, “We will find out to some degree tomorrow if the Russians are willing to come to a compromise with the Turks.”

Further commenting on the situation in Idlib, Jeffrey said it was a “very dangerous” situation and acknowledged Turkey’s efforts to avoid an all-out Syrian government offensive.