Syrian Chemical Attack: Did Regime Act Against Its Own Interests?

Will US Retaliate Militarily?

After the shocking alleged chemical attack in the Syrian rebel-held suburb of Douma that killed 50 people, President Donald Trump was outraged by the inhumane act and called the attack “heinous” and “atrocious.” Many wonder if this is the last straw for the American government to stop the suffering of the Syrian citizens by considering military operations against the Assad regime.

Is President Trump now very decisive to retaliate militarily?

Though President Trump has made statements that he will make a decision in the next 24 to 48 hours on Monday after the suspected poison gas attack in Syria, the Pentagon said there are some special concerns to consider.

According to media reports, military options are under consideration but the Pentagon is addressing some special concerns that included U.S. airstrikes may inadvertently kill Russian soldiers in Syria and escalate the regional war into a confrontation between Washington and Moscow.

Aside from that, a chemical weapons investigative team is on its way to Syria. The Assad government said Tuesday that it will allow international chemical weapons inspectors into the country to investigate Saturday’s attack. This would delay any possible US-led airstrikes.

US and France Denounce The Chemical Attack in Douma

Saturday’s attack against the people in Douma has drawn strong condemnation among world leaders. After a phone call. both France and the United States vowed that Assad will be held accountable for the attack.

After the phone call, the White House issued a statement saying that “both leaders strongly condemned” the attack and agreed that the government of President Bashar al-Assad “must be held accountable.” They vowed to “coordinate a strong, joint response.”

Trump asserted that punishments for those responsible would be forthcoming soon.

“If it’s Russia, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out and we’ll know the answers quite soon,” he said. “So we’re looking at that very strongly and very seriously.”

Chemical Attack in Douma

A suspected chemical attack on Douma, the last rebel-held town in the Eastern Ghouta region has killed 50 people.

Many alleged that bombs filled with toxic chemicals were dropped by Syrian government forces.

The attack drew condemnation in the suburb and more than 500 patients – most of them women and children – were brought to medical facilities with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent.

Why Would Assad Use Chemicals Now?

Though the Assad regime was blamed as the perpetrator of the attack, the government denied all allegations and said the attack was fabricated.

The timing of the alleged chemical attack makes no sense, some analysts say. The US had announced it was about to pull out of Syria, and the regime was winning in the area. This chemical attack stops the US from withdrawing, almost guarantees a US and European response and risks a war with Russia. If the Assad regime was responsible for this chemical attack, it would be self-destructive.

Many in the US Congress and the mainstream media are pushing for a violent response against Assad. Even now, there is no evidence that it was carried out by the regime. That is the reason the Pentagon is investigating, not attacking.

One year ago, the US responded to a previous chemical attack by firing 60 missiles at an Assad regime installation. The pentagon admits that it still cannot prove that Assad was responsible for that chemical attack. In fact, it could have been engineered by the rebels or other forces to draw the US into the fight.