» Trump promises quick decision on Syria response,
President promises quick decision on response to Syria.
— President
WASHINGTON Donald Trump said Monday he will decide “probably by the end of today” on a U.S. response to the apparent chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians. He suggested Syria’s main military ally, Russia, would “pay a price.” Speaking during a Cab-
inet meeting, Trump condemned the “heinous attack” Saturday that killed at least 40 people, including chil- dren. Asked by a reporter whether President Vladimir Putin bears responsibility, Trump said, “He may, yeah, he may. And if he does it’s going to be very tough, very tough.” He added, “Every- body’s gonna pay a price. He will, everybody will.”
Amid the tough talk in the
White House, the U.S. military appeared to be in posi- tion to carry out any attack order. A Navy destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, was under- way in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday after com- pleting a port call at Larnaca, Cyprus. The ship is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the weapon of choice in a U.S. attack one year ago on an airfield in Syria after an alleged sarin gas attack on civilians at Khan Sheikhoun. The U.S. said the 2017 strike was intended to deter Syria from further use of chemical weapons. Trump was to meet later Monday with senior national security aides. “Nothing’s off the table,” he said after condemning Saturday’s suspected use of toxic gas. “It was an atrocious attack,” he said. “It was horrible.”
Trump said the U.S. is still investigating the possible involvement of the Iranian and Russian governments.
“If it’s Russia, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out,” he said.
The United States, mean- while, was urging the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution that would condemn the continuing use of chemical weapons in Syria “in the strongest terms” and establish a new body to determine responsibility for chem- ical attacks. The draft resolu- tion, obtained by The Associated Press, was circulated ahead of an emergency Security Council meeting.
Trump planned two meetings with senior national security aides Monday on Syria, in addition to a previously scheduled late-afternoon White House con
ference with leaders of U.S. military commands around the world. Monday was the first day on the job for Trump’s new national security adviser, John Bolton, who has previously advocated military action against Syria.
The White House deliberations came as Russia and the Syrian military blamed Israel for a pre-dawn missile attack on a major air base in central Syria, saying Israeli fighter jets launched missiles from Lebanon’s air space. A group that monitors Syria’s civil war said the airstrikes
killed 14 people, including Iranians active in Syria.
Earlier Monday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis took aim at Russia for what he suggested was its failure to ensure the elimination of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. The Pentagon chief said he would not rule out a U.S. military strike against Syria in response to a suspected poison gas attack.