US to impose sanctions on Russia over Syria: Haley
Trump defends use of phrase for missile strikes
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his use of the phrase “mission accomplished” to describe a Us-led missile attack on Syria’s chemical weapons programme, even as his aides stressed continuing American troop involvement and plans for new economic sanctions against Russia for enabling Bashar al-assad’s regime.
Stepping up the pressure on Syria’s president, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley indicated the sanctions to be announced on Monday would be aimed at sending a message to Russia, which she said has blocked six attempts by the UN Security Council to make it easier to investigate the use of chemical weapons.
“Everyone is going to feel it at this point,” Haley said, warning of consequences for Assad’s foreign allies.
“The international community will not allow chemical weapons to come back into our everyday life,” she said. “The fact he was making this more normal and that Russia was covering this up, all that has got to stop.”
In an early-morning tweet, Trump said the strike was “perfectly carried out” and that “the only way the Fake News Media could demean was by my use of the term “Mission Accomplished.”
He added that he knew the media would “seize” on the phrase, but said it should be used often. “It is such a great Military term, it should be brought back,” he tweeted.
Trump tweeted “mission accomplished” on Saturday after US, French and British warplanes and ships launched more than 100 missiles nearly unopposed by Syrian air defences. While he declared success, the Pentagon said the pummeling of three chemical-related facilities left enough others intact to enable the Assad government to use banned weapons against civilians if it chooses.
His choice of words recalled a similar claim associated with former president George W Bush following the Us-led invasion of Iraq. Bush addressed sailors aboard a ship in May 2003 alongside a “mission accomplished” banner, weeks before it became apparent that Iraqis had organized an insurgency that would tie down US forces for years.
On Sunday, Haley made clear the United States won’t be pulling troops out of Syria right away, saying US involvement there “is not done.”
Haley said the three US goals for accomplishing its mission are making sure chemical weapons are not used in a way that could harm national interests; that the Islamic State is defeated; and that there is a good vantage point to watch what Iran is doing.
“We’re not going to leave until we know we’ve accomplished those things,” she said.
Haley said the joint military strike “put a heavy blow into their chemical weapons program, setting them back years” and reiterated that if Assad uses poison gas again, “the United States is locked and loaded.”
The nighttime assault was carefully limited to minimize civilian casualties and avoid direct conflict with Russia in Syria, but confusion arose over the extent to which Washington warned Moscow in advance. The Pentagon said it gave no explicit warning. The US ambassador in Moscow, John Huntsman, said in a video, “Before we took action, the US communicated with” Russia to “reduce the danger of any Russian or civilian casualties.”
BRITAIN PUSHES BACK AGAINST MORE STRIKES
UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson insisted that the strike against Syria’s alleged chemical arms infrastructure was a onetime move, even as the US signalled it’s ready to punish the Middle Eastern country again if it keeps using banned weapons.
Johnson told the BBC that there was “no proposal on the table” for further strikes.
Johnson’s comments came even as German President Frankwalter Steinmeier warned against demonising Russia. In an interview published on Sunday, Steinmeier voiced concerns that Saturday’s air strikes by Western powers had raised the serious risk of a direct confrontation between Russian and US.