Trump assails Syria’s alleged chemical attack

President blames Putin, blasts ‘animal Assad’

President Trump lashed out Sunday against an alleged chemical weapons attack by Syrian government forces on civilians, ripping “that animal Assad” and laying blame for the Syrian president’s power on Russia, Iran and even President Barack Obama.

Trump’s tweet storm came hours after the White Helmets, a civil defense force in rebel-held areas of Syria, claimed that entire families were gassed to death Saturday night in Douma and East Ghouta. The group, which put the death toll at more than 40, said many residents were hiding in cellars, suffocating from poison gas.

Syrian state media said Sunday rebel forces led by the Army of Islam had agreed to leave Douma within 48 hours as Syrian leader Bashar Assad tightened his grip on rebel strongholds around Damascus.

“Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria,” Trump said on Twitter. “Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world.” The attack came less than a week after Trump, speaking about Syria, declared: “I want to bring our troops back home.” A day later, however, the White House signaled that a U.S. withdrawal from Syria is not imminent. On Twitter on Sunday, Trump demanded that the area be opened up for medical help and verification of a chemical attack, which would constitute a war crime. He called the attack another “humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!” Trump blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for providing support to Assad. Trump also blamed Obama for allowing Assad to cross his predecessor’s “state Red Line in the Sand.” If Obama had acted years ago, Trump said, the Syrian crisis would have ended long ago and Assad would have passed into history. The United Nations Security Council on Monday will hold an emergency meeting on the suspected chemical attack, reports the Associated Press. Reuters says the U.N. Security Council will meet twice on Monday to discuss “international threats to peace and security.”

AFP/GETTY IMAGES An image from a video released by the Syrian civil defense shows a volunteer assisting a child at a hospital after a reported chemical attack.