U.S. Officials Confirm Israel Hit Syria After Suspected Ghouta Chemical Attack
Editor’s Note: Israel and the Israel lobby in the United States have long had Syria in their crosshairs. There have been repeated attempts to fabricate incidents in order to justify US and Israeli military intervention in the country. Here are a few stories that harken back to similar efforts made a year ago in an attempt to achieve the very same thing. Much like the false Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) justification to invade Iraq in 2003, these latest events are eerily similar. That’s because it is the very same program: vilify your target by way of a false chemical weapon attack on civilians or claims of WMD stockpiles and then invade. If you’re Israel, you would rather the Americans do the heavy lifting for you; and when it’s all over, just hang it around the neck of your gentile scapegoat (President George W. Bush or in this case President Donald J. Trump). The narrative constructed around this incident is yet another series of lies seeded into the culture by way of the mainstream media to legitimize Israel’s Imperialist aspirations in the region. Mundilfury.
Israel carried out air strikes against a Syrian air base early Monday morning and informed the U.S. in advance, two U.S. officials told NBC News.
#Assad & #Putin are not the enemy. US foreign policy is hijacked by greedy war mongering elites & dual citizens who will try anything. America benefits nothing from these wars. The masses are unbelievably easy to fool.
— Lana (@LanaLokteff) April 9, 2018
The pre-dawn missile attack came hours after a deadly suspected poison gas attack on the last remaining foothold for rebels fighting the Assad regime.
A war-monitoring group said the overnight airstrikes killed 14 people, according to the Associated Press.
Watch Syrian air defense fire missile towards object overhead short time ago. Israel is suspected of being behind airstrikes tonight targeting an Iranian affiliated airbase in Syria. pic.twitter.com/1IDU2GLECo
— Israel Breaking (@IsraelBreaking) April 9, 2018
Russia's Defense Ministry said two Israeli aircraft targeted the T4 air base in Homs province, firing eight missiles. It said Syria shot down five missiles while the other three landed in the western part of the base. Israel's foreign ministry had no comment when the AP asked about the reports.
Deadly Chemical Attack Blamed on #Assad Result in Airstrikes on T-4 Airbase in #Syria
— Henrik Palmgren ???????????? (@Henrik_Palmgren) April 9, 2018
It's Unclear Who Is Behind the Airstrikes.https://t.co/RxVtGEJFMi
Since 2012, Israel has struck inside Syria more than 100 times, mostly targeting suspected weapons' convoys destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Syrian government forces.
"Assad's attack makes perfect sense". This is what passes for journalism at @TheAtlantic with Fake News editor @JeffreyGoldberg
— Henrik Palmgren ???????????? (@Henrik_Palmgren) April 9, 2018
On a scarier note, it seems that they might also actually believe what they write ???????????? https://t.co/g0JojehIR0
Most recently, Israel hit the same T4 base in February, after it said an Iranian drone that had violated Israeli airspace took off from the base. The base, which was used as a launching pad for counter offensive attacks against Islamic State militants who were at one point stationed close by, is near the Shayrat air base, which was targeted by U.S. missiles last year in response to a chemical weapons attack.
Jaysh al-Islam didn't like the beat down they were getting from #Assad with help from Russia, so they staged (a real) chemical attack. Putting lives of children at stake to garner international sympathy, to get help from Americahttps://t.co/0eiX4RoVA4https://t.co/vifkvbCwgg pic.twitter.com/FnB3ZsWfsF
— Henrik Palmgren ???????????? (@Henrik_Palmgren) April 9, 2018
President Donald Trump on Sunday warned there would be a "big price to pay" after Saturday's suspected poison gas attack in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. At least 40 people were killed in that assault, including families found in their homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said.
Trump blamed Syrian government forces for what he called a "mindless CHEMICAL attack." In a series of tweets, Trump held Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar Assad's chief sponsors, responsible.
Israel in open war against Syria, likely using the fake gas attack as a cover. https://t.co/9IvUfHDYT8
— Kevin MacDonald (@TOOEdit) April 9, 2018
In his tweets Sunday, the president called Assad an "animal" and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has declared his intent to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria in the coming months, despite resistance from many of his advisers.
NOte this poll of Fox viewers. Opposed to @realDonaldTrump taking action. If he does something stupid, it's not because the base wants it. And at this point, why try to appease the #NeverTrump neocons? https://t.co/wZ75fd1nEc
— Kevin MacDonald (@TOOEdit) April 9, 2018
Trump was expected to meet with senior military leadership later Monday, as his new national security adviser, John Bolton, assumes his post. Bolton has previously advocated significant airstrikes against Syria.
The Syrian government denied the chemical weapons allegations, calling them fabrications.
Left: August 18, 2002
— Curse (@cursedsalad) April 8, 2018
Right: April 8, 2018 pic.twitter.com/oMS1h7fJ2A
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called reports of the attack a "provocation." He said the Russian military visited the site of the suspected attack and found no traces of the chemicals.
First responders entering apartments in Douma late Saturday said they found bodies collapsed on floors, some foaming at the mouth. The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense rescue organization said the victims appeared to have suffocated.
More than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers complaining of difficulties breathing, foaming at the mouth and burning sensations in the eyes. Some had bluish skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation, according to a statement, symptoms consistent with chemical exposure.
Syria's state news agency SANA said the overnight airstrike resulted in a number of casualties but provided no specific figures. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, said 14 died, including Iranians and also three Syrian officers.
Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory's chief, said the assault targeted a mobile air defense unit and some buildings inside the air base. He added that it also hit posts outside the base used by the Iranians and Iran-backed fighters.
Israel fears Iran could use Syria's territory to stage attacks on it. The U.S. launched several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base last year, after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.
Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the war and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia.
