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Trump says Syria attack ‘very soon or not at all’
The US president’s tweet came a day after he put Syria and its ally Russia on notice for incoming “nice and new and ‘smart’” missiles.
After putting Syria and its ally Russia on notice for incoming “nice and new and ‘smart’” missiles, US President Donald Trump sought to turn down the rhetoric and tweeted he never said anything about the timing of a strike.
“Never said when an attack on Syria would take place,” Trump tweeted. “Could be very soon or not so soon at all!” He then veered off topic, posting: “In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our Thank you America?’”
Trump has boasted of never revealing war strategy or time and intensity of a move, but on Wednesday he spoke angrily of Russian threat to shoot down American missiles fired in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.
He had tweeted: “Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Moscow.
Critics had asked why was that not giving away US strategy, something Trump had vowed to never do and had criticised past presidents for.
“The president has not laid out a timetable and is still leaving a number of other options on the table,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said at a news briefing. But she had also made clear the president was holding both Syria and Russia responsible for the attack.
Trump is facing criticism for sending conflicting signals on his Syria policy. His threat to retaliate with all options on the table runs contrary to his desire to pull out most of the 2,000 US troops deployed there, leaving behind a smaller contingent for hunting down remaining Islamic State fighters and train local forces to secure areas liberated from the terrorist outfit.
US diplomats and military leaders have pushed back, and publicly, indicating much needed to be done.
