© AFP 2018/ MANDEL NGANUS President Donald Trump (C) speaks, watched by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, during lunch with members of the United Nations Security Council in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC
"We have a lot of options militarily," he told reporters adding that a response would be decided "shortly".
Earlier, Trump promised "major decisions" after the US figures out who was responsible for the alleged attack in Douma - Russia, or Syria, or Iran, or "all of them together."
During a meeting of the UN Security Council US envoy Nikki Haley claimed that the US will act against the Assad government with or without the blessing of the UN.
"We are beyond showing pictures of dead babies. We are beyond appeals to conscience. We have reached the moment when the world must see justice done," Haley said.
"The Russian regime, whose hands are all covered with the blood of Syrian children, cannot be ashamed by pictures of its victims. We've tried that before," she continued adding that "no civilized government would have anything to do with Assad's murderous regime."
Does the US leadership really believe that Russia, Iran or Syria may have been interested in conducting a chemical attack in Douma, at the precise moment militants had almost agreed to surrender, in full view of all the mainstream media and Western powers censoriously studying their every step?
This question remains unanswered.
According to media reports, the Pentagon has presented Trump with various military options, such as a cruise missile strike or a massive airstrike on crucial Syrian facilities. According to Reuters, one of the options is the so-called multinational response, i.e. full-scale invasion, which may involve France, the UK and some other US allies.
Meanwhile, the US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles, was reportedly "harassed" by low-flying Russian warplanes in a clear signal of the growing tensions in the region.
Earlier, experts of the Russian Defense Ministry visited the parts of the town of Douma where the alleged chemical attack took place. According to the defense ministry's statement, no traces of chemical weapons use were found. The Russian military described photos of the chemical attack victims posted by the so-called White Helmets as fake.
The situation is developing.
Comment: The US may have "a lot of options militarily", but all of them are insane and immoral. The war rhetoric is not sounding good. However, there is still a chance that the West's response will be limited and symbolic, like the US did one year ago with their Tomahawk missiles that did little damage to a Syrian airstrip. Some thoughts by the Saker on the possible scenarios, here.