By Aaron Miller-
U.S President Donald Trump’s tweet for Russia to “get ready” for missiles to be fired at its ally Syria potentially puts the world on the brink of war.
The tweet in response to an alleged chemical attack near Damascus on Saturday is the closest the two superpowers have come to doing serious and dangerous battle since the cold war.
The world has seen such confrontation come close in the past, but this threat is ominously dangerous now.
“Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!'” Mr Trump said in his tweet.
Senior Russian figures have threatened to meet any US strikes with a response.
HEATING UP
The climate between America and Russia has been heating up for a while. First, Trump’s response in support of the UK following the Salisbury poisoning in London by expelling diplomats had already rocked the the already strained relationship further. Now, the American president’s vow to mount missiles against Syria after the reported chemical attack has taken the tension to new heights.
Russia has long been a world problem because of its defiance and immoral acts of human rights abuses and supporting regimes that do the same, like Syria
A stark warning from Russia’s ambassador that it Russia would shoot down missiles and strike any platforms used to launch missiles to Syria if it considered its servicemen to be under threat. He appeared to go further to suggest any missiles fired at Syria would be shot down.
President Bashar al-Assad’s government has denied mounting a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma but admission of deadly acts of violence is not something that should be expected from Syria or Russia.
In his tweet, Mr Trump called the Syrian leader a “gas killing animal”.
The US, UK and France have agreed to work together and are believed to be preparing for a military strike in response.
Activists opposed to Assad’s regime claimed rescue workers and medics say government aircraft dropped bombs filled with toxic chemicals on Douma.
On Wednesday, the UN’s World Health Organization demanded access to the area to verify reports from its partners, who include Sams, that 70 people had died – including 43 who showed “symptoms consistent with exposure to highly toxic chemicals”.
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