© U.S. Navy / Reuters
The United States has deployed ships and aircraft for a possible attack on an air base in Syria, "but it is not planning to attack", as CNN reported, citing several anonymous sources.
The US is watching the Shayrat airbase, where the envisaged chemical attack may be carried out, which Washington promised to respond to.
However, no suspicious activity on the base has occurred. US Secretary of Defensem James Mattis said on Wednesday that, according to him, the Syrian authorities "took the warning seriously."
Earlier, the press service of the White House said that President Bashar Assad is preparing a new chemical attack, and promised that, if implemented, the Syrian authorities will "pay a high price." The United States failed to provide evidence of this.
Russia counter-responded by identifying US-supported rebels as the ones planning yet another chemical incident, to be blamed on the Assad government.
Comment: Typical American move: plan to attack, say you're not going to, get indignant when the target complains you're acting aggressively.
The Russian
response:
Russia will respond adequately and in proportion if the US implement its threats against Damascus for allegedly preparing a chemical attack, as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"I very much hope that this time the United States will be guided by the need to really protect the non-proliferation of chemical weapons and not to speculate on the alleged intelligence, which comes from "secret sources". They cannot create pretexts for another blow to the forces of the Syrian army"- Lavrov said.
Comment: Typical American move: plan to attack, say you're not going to, get indignant when the target complains you're acting aggressively.
The Russian response: