In the wake of an aggressive tweet from President Donald Trump, Russia is continuing to warn the US that militants are preparing to stage a fake chemical weapons attack in Idlib in order to frame Damascus.
The Russian military has been warning of an impending staged attack for over a week.
The Russian Defense Ministry claims that a staged chlorine attack by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militant group, previously known as Al-Nusra Front, in the Idlib governorate is going to be used to justify US strikes in Syria.
The ministry said in a statement that the jihadists are going to “stage decontamination of victims of a staged chemical weapons attack posing as members of the notorious White Helmets group.”
“The implementation of this provocation, which is being conducted with the assistance of the British intelligence services, is meant to serve as the latest pretext for the US, Britain and France to deliver a missile strike against state and economic facilities in Syria,” said General Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry.
RT reports that the Russian MoD noted the deployment to the Mediterranean last weekend of the missile destroyer USS Ross carrying 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles on board. It came after a similar move of the USS The Sullivans to the Persian Gulf and the rebasing of a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber to an air base in Qatar. The Russian ministry said the “preparations are the latest evidence of the US intention to use the” expected provocation.
“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province,” Trump tweeted on Monday. “The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy.”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
Russia has not yet formally responded to the tweet, but Russian media is reporting that for weeks the nation has been helping to establish humanitarian corridors in Idlib province. Their goal is to separate armed opposition and terrorists in the area so that civilians are not harmed when the Syrian government begins operations to clear the Idlib province of militants.
Foreign Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also been stressing that militant terrorists in Syria are still being supplied with weapons and munitions.
Nikki Haley, an extreme neocon, also tweeted about the issue.
All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeapons https://t.co/DscJOxf4x1
— Archive: Ambassador Nikki Haley (@AmbNikkiHaley) September 3, 2018
The tweet drew swift condemnation from many Trump supporters who oppose sending our troops to fight more pointless wars.
https://twitter.com/cernovich/status/1036762712166944769?s=21
