Defense Secretary James Mattis Will Not Rule Out Retaliatory US Strikes On The Syrian Regime

There’s been another chemical attack in Syria– specifically in the “rebel-held suburb of Douma.”

Rescue workers in Syria reported finding at least 42 people dead in their homes from apparent suffocation, and antigovernment activists circulated videos of lifeless men, women and children sprawled out on floors and in stairwells, many with white foam coming from their mouths and nostrils.

A stream of patients with burning eyes and breathing problems were rushed to clinics after the attack at dusk on Saturday, medical and rescue groups said.

The attack appeared to break the will of Douma’s rebels, who agreed on Sunday to a deal with the government to hand the area over and be bused to another area outside government control in the country’s north. Thousands of fighters and tens of thousands of their relatives are expected to leave soon.

President Trump responded and specifically called out Putin for backing Assad.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. 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…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

….to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

This wouldn’t be the first time Assad has done such a horrific thing. It begs the question: How will the United States respond?

Defense Secretary James Mattis isn’t taking retaliatory strikes off the table.

SecDef Mattis asked by @LucasFoxNews if he could rule out retaliatory US strikes following chemical weapons use by the Syrian regime, Mattis said: “I don’t rule out anything right now”

— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) April 9, 2018

More Mattis: “The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all chemical weapons & so working w/ our allies & partners from NATO to Qatar & elsewhere we are going to address this issue” https://t.co/PdNyMKetLR

— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) April 9, 2018

Interesting since Susan Rice and John Kerry said Syria’s chemical weapons were ALL destroyed?

Another @BarackObama administration lie.

— Coco (@NancyLChapman) April 9, 2018

Yeah. ABOUT that.

Meanwhile, Israel has been blamed for a deadly attack on a Syrian military airport.

Monday’s attack hit the Tiyas airbase, known as T4, near the city of Homs. Observers say 14 people were killed.

Israel, which has previously hit Syrian targets, has not commented. Syria initially blamed the US for the strike.

The incident comes amid international alarm over an alleged chemical attack on a Syrian rebel-held town. The US and France had threatened to respond.

Mattis’ words mean something. Assad should be afraid. A retaliatory strike is NOT off the table.

h/t Twitchy