‘A BIG PRICE TO PAY’
‘Animal Assad,’ Putin targeted in Trump tweet
President Trump warned “Animal Assad” — Syrian dictator Bashar Assad — and his regime’s ally Vladimir Putin that there will be a “big price to pay” after reports of another chemical attack.
Trump yesterday condemned a “mindless CHEMICAL attack” in Syria that killed women and children, as Washington worked to verify the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used. A top White House aide, asked about the possibility of a U.S. missile strike in response, said, “I wouldn’t take anything off the table.”
Last year, Trump ordered dozens of cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base after declaring there was no doubt Assad had “choked out the lives of helpless” civilians in an attack that used banned gases. White House advisers said at the time that images of hurt children helped push the president to launch that airstrike, and television news shows yesterday aired similar depictions of suffering young Syrians.
“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Trump tweeted. “Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!”
Cedric Leighton, a retired Air Force colonel who served at the National Security Agency and Pentagon, said Trump would be well served in launching a sneak missile attack.
“He is in a tough place. He was somewhat right during his campaign when he said don’t telegraph your intentions to a foreign adversary,” Leighton said. “What concerned me about the last show of force about a year ago was that the Russians and others knew that particular Tomahawk attack was coming and they could get their assets out of the way . ... It might be a bit of a good idea to surprise them and put them in a box they deserve to be put in.”
Leighton added Trump should recommit to keeping U.S. forces in Syria “even if he doesn’t really mean it. It would give them just enough pause . ... That would be good leadership on the world stage.”
The developments come as Trump has moved to dramatically scale back U.S. goals in Syria, pushing for a quick military withdrawal despite resistance from many of his national security advisers. Trump has given no formal order to pull the 2,000 U.S. troops out of Syria or offered a public timetable other than to say the U.S. will withdraw as soon as the remaining Islamic State fighters can be vanquished.
The U.N. Security Council is planning to meet in emergency session today to discuss the suspected poison gas attack.