Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
With the joint Syrian and Russian air campaign over Idlib province heating up over the past three weeks, and with the final showdown between Damascus and the last major al-Qaeda stronghold in Syria’s northwest imminent, President Trump on Sunday issued a stern warning directed at Syria, Russia, and Iran.
Trump tweeted that the three allies are “bombing the hell out of Idlib Province in Syria” and are in the process of “indiscriminately” killing civilians which he further called “butchery”. He ended the statement in all caps, saying “STOP!”.
Hearing word that Russia, Syria and, to a lesser extent, Iran, are bombing the hell out of Idlib Province in Syria, and indiscriminately killing many innocent civilians. The World is watching this butchery. What is the purpose, what will it get you? STOP!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2019
The Kremlin was quick to respond, saying Monday militants from Idlib had stepped up attacks on civilian areas in places like nearby northern Hama as well as into Latakia province.
Blaming Turkey for failing to uphold the Astana ceasefire agreement by allowing its proxies to attack Syrian government areas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “militants were using Idlib as a base to launch attacks against civilian and military” which he called “unacceptable,” according to Reuters.
“Of course strikes by militants from Idlib are unacceptable and measures are being taken to neutralize these strike positions,” Peskov told reporters.
Trump had issued a similarly threatening tweet aimed at preventing a Syrian-Russian assault on Idlib as Syrian Army ground forces mustered last September.
Amid threats the US was prepared to launch another strike (following the April 2018 strikes for a claimed chemical attack in Idlib’s Khan Sheikhoun) if there was even so much as a claim of Syrian forces using chemical weapons, that prior September operation was called off as Russia and Turkey pursued a diplomatic route.
But here’s the huge significance of Trump’s latest tweet on Idlib: though it might be the case that’s it’s merely connected with the broader anti-Iran “maximum pressure” campaign, it remains that such statements are sure to get the immediate attention of the anti-Assad “rebels” — dominated in Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly AQ’s Nusrah Front).
Russian-Syrian air strikes on Idlib in May 2019, via Reuters/VOA News
The HTS militants understand very well that the White House has made past decisions on Syria based merely on optics.
CNN reported of the last time Trump ordered Tomahawks launched related to events in Idlib:
President Donald Trump has said that the horrific images from a chemical weapons attack in Syria compelled him to authorize a missile strike against an Assad-regime airbase last week. But according to his son, Eric Trump, another key White House voice may have also influenced his decision to use military force.
According to an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Eric Trump said he is “sure” that his sister, and newly appointed West Wing adviser, Ivanka Trump, encouraged their father to carry out a the strike against the Syrian president.
The US fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian airbase after more than 80 people were killed, including children, in a chemical weapons attack in Idlib province.
So ultimately, gory hospital scenes of suffering civilians and “nerve agent attacks” have in the past been enough to initiate US bombing and intervention against Assad without so much as an investigation of the claims.
No doubt the HTS/AQ jihadists who rule Idlib, with some three million civilians under their thumb in the northwest region, are even now preparing optics for some kind of “event” that will grab the attention of both international headlines and especially the White House. Likely the major “event” will come in form of a “well-timed” nerve agent attack.
It goes without saying that it runs entirely counter to Damascus and Russia’s own interests to use chemical weapons at this point while under an international microscope and scrutiny, especially as conventional bombs are readily available in their arsenals as they continue to pound Idlib.
finish the HTS fuckers off quickly. game over.
When Syrian and their allies destroying the terrorist nests in Syria so they start barking.
Let the dogs bark and the caravan goes on.
Who let the dogs bark Trump, Trump Trump.
America and allies during bombing operation of Raqqa and other cities in Syria under complete blackout thousands of families buried alive. Now America will give answer for that butchery.
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201904251074453338-us-led-coalition-raqqa/ https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e370f5ba39cf15a3d69ddf93643b18b971c66d0ea91b0ab583752c06cb444149.png
These US basterds evacuated ISIS Daesh terrorists from Raqqa before bombing Syrian nation.
We can also point a big finger at fuckhead Erdogan as well.
Who knows what his motives were/are. But this whole debacle in Syria would never had happened without Turkish support.
Thats assumuing Turkey is a homogenus entity. Im starting to think its not.
There are Jews bastards in Turkish parliament that gives wrong instructions to Erdogan. If Erdogan removes all these bastards from his parliament then Erdogan will be able to see and do correct decisions. That is why Erdogan wants full control.
Aren’t they still waiting for the bodies to be picked up from Raqqa, thanks to the US razoring it to the ground?
razing
Why even respond to Trump and his Tweets? Trump is POTUS in name only and Tweets are not official. What Russia should be saying is when is the US going to rebuild Raqqa that they have destroyed and compensate it’s citizens?
Dmitry Peskov said “militants were using Idlib as a base to launch attacks against civilian and military” This is a good response, meant for a larger audience than just Trump the Tweeter.
I was referring to all responses. Ignore Trump’s Tweets they are not official and by responding you are actually playing Trump’s game.
It’s just about the public opinion. The main catch of democracy: you have to convince your citizens, that you are doing right. So, no response means Trump can write any BS he wants, and US citizens will eat it without further questions.
So true Harry if you are a US citizen which I am not. Trump’s BS should stay in the US and let US citizens suffer from his verbal Diarrhoea.
When deep state’s BS is threatening the World with WW3, anyone who can fight the BS is obligated to react.
True too but the problem and responsibility is with the US. Vote them out.
Trump can’t even handle two terrorist Bolton and Pompeo. Extremist Satanyahu and Insurgent Erdogan are diabolic and ballistic totally out of Trump control.
Get rid of Terrorists ASAP! Without mercy!
Because cease fires and delayed military operation will give chance to US bastards to butcher more Syrians.
If only Putin shared Trump’s altruism!!!!
As yes, but Putin cares about ordinary people.
This piece of shit of trump should get back to acting- oh wait, he’s already doing a role as president of the divided states of america.
He was a real estate developer. He would fail as an actor.
We must push F.uk.us and evil friends to answer the question why would Assad use gas on his own people? If they answered in keeping with the tendency to project psychologically, the answer would be why they use chemical biological agents around the world including on their own people, roundup anyone?
Roundup indeed! But not only that, US used Agent Orange in Vietnam (now that is clearly a chemical weapon) and there are still effects of that campaign in living veterans and Vietnam environment.
Yes how proudly they showed those airplanes spreading the longest biggest chemical, attack in history. They needed huge tankers to deliver those loads.
Roundup may surpass it in impact. Seems the decision was simple, roundup the human race, well most of it anyway, and send them to their maker sooner rather than later.
and uranium in Yugoslavia.
and the disintegrating states of A claimed that the opposition in Angola (russia and cuba and mpla) used gas (like now in Syria) while the side supported by the americans and south africa, unita was innocent like a new born child. yep that we believe to be the gospel.
and in Iraq and Afghanistan.
USA uses chemicals to execute convicted prisoners.USA NATO is deeply specialized in chemical used to kill humans.
Thus their constant refrain that others are at it proves psychological projection in play.
More generally I would say they have weaponized every conceivable method to kill humans and will pay top dollar for innovation.
Problem for Empire is motivation beats innovation, when it is only developed for profit.
Many will die to save their families, who will die so their family gets a neatly folded flag?
trump and the zionists trying to save their al qaeda friends in idlib lol. imagine that, same alqaeda that attacked USA on 9/11 “supposedly” and now they protect, arm, and fund it
Now Bolton spokesman Trump how many civilians will be killed in war on Iran by USA.Look like Trump doesn’t know what to tell illuminati queen.He is so dam scared of Meghan because she will tell him shit.
Sorry fat fuck we are helping your Idlib terrorists to quickly meet their 72 virgins before Lucifer rape them as he did to Eva.Please Trump give as your butchery of civilians in Raqqa,Al Tanf and Ephrate river ,Deir Ezzor, Afrin and Manbij.
Russia and also China are still SO far behind in getting their side of the story out. For most of the past year, when the imperative was to make nice with Erdogan, the Russians themselves flattered these HTS-affiliated groups as “opposition”, even as they were shelling–well really any Syrians that were in range.
Now the Kremlin is coming out of hibernation, and beginning to understand that these groups will also be used to try and squeeze the Russkies out of their own Syrian bases. So now, in its own terminology, Russia is indeed bombing the Syrian political opposition. You cannot beat the Empire of Illusions at its own game; you lose something crucial once you give up on truth.
These same head-choppers are to be exported into Russia. They are already in the Ukraine.
suppose the overriding interest is to clear Syria from terrorists and jihadists and then liberate the north- eastern parts from sdf and american troops und zu weiter and SAA and Russia can’t really avoid that interest. Russia has its naval base in the region and its landbased base also in the neighbourhood. I think dunny the dunce, on behalf of the deep state and the mic, is crystal ball gazing and see the real possibility that once idlib/hama is out of the way sdf will be next in line, which the quickly disintegrating states of A would like to avoid.
I believe Russia should be more active in exposing Al-Qaeda and Jihadists backed by Turkey.