BEIRUT: The prospect of Western military action in Syria that could lead to confrontation with Russia hung over the Middle East yesterday but there was no clear sign that a US-led attack was imminent.
International chemical weapons experts were travelling to Syria to investigate an alleged gas attack by government forces on the town of Douma which killed dozens of people. Two days ago US President Donald Trump warned that
missiles “will be coming” in response to that attack.
The allies of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad were eager yesterday to lay blame for the crisis not with him but with Trump.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said international relations should not depend on one person’s morning mood, in apparent reference to Trump’s tweets.
“We cannot depend on what someone on the other side of the ocean takes into his head in the morning. We cannot take such risks,” said Dvorkovich, speaking at a forum.
Russia has warned the West against attacking Assad, who is also supported by Iran, and says there is no evidence of a chemical attack in Douma, a town near Damascus which had been held by rebels until this month.
Vassily Nebenzia, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, said he “cannot exclude” war between the US and Russia.
“The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war,” he said. “We hope there will be no point of no return.”
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was in contact with Washington but the atmosphere was alarming. “God forbid anything adventurous will be done in Syria following the Libyan and Iraqi experience,” he said.
A Hizbollah leader told Lebanese daily Al Joumhouria: “The conditions do not point to a total war happening ...unless Trump and (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu completely lose their minds.”
US allies have offered strong words of support for Washington but no clear military plans have yet emerged.
British Prime Minister Theresa May won backing from her senior ministers on Thursday to take unspecified action with the US and France to deter further use of chemical weapons by Syria.
Some national leaders appeared anxious to avert a US-Russian showdown.
Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France had proof the Syrian government carried out the Douma attack and would decide whether to strike back when all necessary information had been gathered.
But yesterday he appeared conciliatory. Macron’s office said he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing concern about the deterioration of the situation in Syria and calling for more dialogue with Moscow.
Nato members Germany and the Netherlands have said they will not take part in any military action.
Tayyip Erdogan, president of Syria’s neighbour Turkey, said he had spoken by phone with Trump and Putin and told both that increasing tensions in the region was not right.
Trump himself appeared yesterday to cast doubt on at least the timing of any US-led military action, tweeting: “Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!”
Investigations
A team of experts from global watchdog the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was travelling to Syria and will start its investigations into the Douma incident today, the Netherlands-based agency said.
The capture of Douma has clinched a major victory for Assad, crushing what was once a centre of the insurgency near Damascus, and underlines his unassailable position in the war.
Tension between Russia and the West came amid signs the parallel conflict between Israel and Iran’s forces and proxies in Syria is also on the point of escalation.
“The Israelis committed a historic mistake... and put themselves in direct combat with Iran,” Hassan Nasrallah warned in a televised address.
Israel said yesterday an Iranian drone it shot down over Israeli territory in February was armed with explosives and was meant to carry out an attack.
- The UAE’s civil aviation authority has cautioned its national airlines to take precautionary measures over possible US air strikes against Syria, Emarat Alyoun newspaper reported.