A Lot Happened In Syria Over The Weekend — Here's What's Going On
Last week, President Trump told reporters that "it's time" to "bring our troops back home," signaling the possibility of a quick withdrawal from the war-torn country. Reports following the statement said that Trump has instructed a military pull-out within the next few months rather than immediately only after military leaders convinced Trump that there was still work to be done. Now, after a weekend of chaos, it looks as if the US may actually take a more active role in Syria's conflicts. Here's what you need to know about the rollercoaster ride of events that rocked Syria and refocused global attention on the country in crisis.
Syrian Forces Reportedly Used A Chemical Weapon On A Damascus Suburb
On Saturday evening, Syrian forces reportedly bombarded the city of Douma, one of the last rebel-held enclaves near the country's capital, with what appeared to be chemical weapons. First, they hit with airstrikes that reportedly caused breathing trouble. Shortly after, helicopters reportedly dropped exploding barrels. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 56 people died and 500 people were wounded.
Rescue workers say that many victims had white foam coming from their mouth and nostrils (photographs appear to confirm this), while others reported burning eyes and breathing trouble after smelling "a chlorine odor."
Dramatic video shot by and published by activists shows the medical response to the aftermath of the attack:
Douma has been surrounded by Syrian, Russian and Iranian-backed forces as they've attempted to reclaim it from rebels. After this weekend's chemical attack, rebel forces agreed to vacate the area.
Syrian state news and Russian representatives denied the use of chemical weapons.
Trump Responded With An Apparent Threat To Assad And Russia
Despite Trump's signals last week on Syria, which suggested a resignation of the country to Assad's control, this weekend's chemical attack seemed to inspire a change of heart.
In a tweet, Trump warned Syria, Russian President Vladamir Putin and Iran that there would be a "big price to pay" for chemical attacks:
The tweet was the first time Trump has criticized Putin on Twitter.
The threat bears extra weight after Trump authorized an airstrike against a Syrian airbase one year ago in response to another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime.
On Monday, Defense Secretary James Mattis said an airstrike hadn't been ruled out. In a statement, President Trump called the attack "heinous," saying that the US would make a decision on its response in "24 to 48 hours."
According to The White House, French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a "strong, joint response" with the US.
Syria And Russia Say Israel Hit The Country With An Airstrike
On Monday, Syria and Russia claimed that Israel was responsible for an airstrike on the T-4 airbase in central Syria, killing at least 14, including four Iranian advisers according to Iranian state news.
Israel has not confirmed or denied the reports, but the country struck the same base earlier this year, claiming that Iran was operating a command center there. The strike came after Israel claimed an Iranian drone had invaded their airspace.
The US and France have denied involvement in the strike.
Israel has remained officially neutral in the Syrian conflict but has responded aggressively to Iran's expanding role in the country, and have repeatedly bombed what they say are weapons shipments going through the country to Hezbollah — the Lebanese group campaigning for the country's destruction.
