Tag Archives: chemical weapons

The Guardian reports: Dutch military intelligence disrupted a Russian cyber-attack on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Dutch defence minister has said. The attack, which was thwarted with the help of British officials, came after the cybercrime unit of the GRU Russian military intelligence directorate had also attempted a remote attack on the Porton Down chemical weapons …

Reuters reports: The United States is “locked and loaded” to strike again if Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad’s government again uses chemical weapons, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the Security Council on Saturday. “We are confident that we have crippled Syria’s chemical weapons program. We are prepared to sustain this pressure, if the Syrian regime is foolish …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday saying that the U.S. led military strikes in Syria Friday night were successful. The strikes were in response to a suspected gas attack on the rebel-held city of Douma last weekend. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Saturday strikes would increase Syria’s resolve to “fight and crush terrorism in every inch” of the …

NBC News reports: Congressional Democrats blasted President Donald Trump on Friday night for circumventing Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes against Syria, calling it “unconstitutional” and questioning the strategy. Many Republicans, on the other hand, applauded the president’s move. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has pushed Congress to pass a new authorization for the use of military force, deemed the president’s …

The Associated Press reports: The United States, France and Britain launched military strikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for an apparent chemical attack against civilians and to deter him from doing it again, but also stirred up angry responses from Syria’s allies and ignited a debate over whether the attacks were justified. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the …

USA Today reports: The Russian military says that an alleged chemical attack in Syria was staged and directed by Britain. Volunteer first responders and activists claimed a chemical attack by the Syrian government killed over 40 people in the town of Douma, which drew international outrage and prompted Washington and its allies to consider a military response. Moscow warned against …

Vice News reports: Russian state TV told citizens Tuesday to stockpile food and water as the threat of nuclear war with the U.S. intensified over Syria. Standing in front of a mushroom cloud, a presenter on state-run broadcaster Vesti 24 warned viewers to stock up on “fewer sweets and more water.” The presenter listed off a number of food items …

Yahoo News reports: Donald Trump has backpedaled on earlier warlike statements about missile strikes in Syria – with a new Tweet where he says an attack may happen ‘not so soon at all’. His new statement may perplex allies, as it comes as British ministers consider the possibility of backing military action in the region. Theresa May is believed to …

Reuters reports: Russia has warned that any U.S. missiles fired at Syria over a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel enclave would be shot down and the launch sites targeted, raising the possibility of a U.S.-Russian confrontation. Issuing the warning on Tuesday evening, the Russian ambassador to Lebanon also said such a clash should be avoided and Moscow was …

“President Trump, I’m speaking to you directly. Do not take the same mistake that President Obama had made. The action that you had taken to take out the air base, that was important, that was strong — that was a very strong message. What we need to do right now is to take out Assad’s air force. If we ground …

The BBC reports: The US and Russia have traded barbs at a UN Security Council meeting on the alleged chemical attack in Syria. Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said the incident in Douma was staged and that US military action in response could have “grave repercussions”. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said Russia had the “blood of Syrian children” on its hands. …

CNN reports: The US has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in response to the weekend’s suspected chemical gas attack on civilians, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday. “I don’t rule out anything right now,” Mattis said while hosting Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, at the Pentagon. “The first thing we …

Reuters reports: The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon over the recent chemical attack in Syria at the request of the United States and several other members, diplomats said on Sunday. A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 …

NPR has this morning’s development: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday they have reached an agreement on a framework for Syria to destroy all of its chemical weapons, and raised the specter of a potential U.N. Security Council resolution that could authorize sanctions — even military action — if President Bashar Assad’s …

CBS News reports: Syria on Monday quickly welcomed a call from Russia, its close ally, to place Syrian chemical arsenals under international control, then destroy them to avert a U.S. strike, but did not offer a time frame or any other specifics. The statement by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem appeared to mark the first official acknowledgement by Damascus that …

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