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White House warns of potential US 'red line' over Syria barrel bomb attacks
Source: The Guardian
White House warns of potential US 'red line' over Syria barrel bomb attacks
Criteria would mark substantial expansion of rules of engagement,
as Rex Tillerson says US would come to defense of civilians
‘anywhere’ amid G7 talks
Julian Borger and David Smith in Washington, Heather Stewart in London and Spencer Ackerman in New York
Monday 10 April 2017 22.10 BST
The Trump administration on Monday signalled much broader grounds for future military intervention in Syria, suggesting it might retaliate against the Assad regime for barrel bomb attacks.
On the eve of a critical visit to Moscow at a time of high US-Russian tensions over Syria, the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, appeared to go even further, saying his country would come to the defence of innocent civilians “anywhere in the world”.
The administration had initially stressed strictly limited objectives for a cruise missile strike last week on a Syrian air force base, saying it was intended to deter the repeat of a chemical attack on Tuesday against civilians and that the focus of US efforts in Syria remains combating the Islamic State (Isis).
On Monday, however, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, widened the criteria for retaliation. “When you watch babies and children being gassed, and suffer under barrel bombs, you are instantaneously moved to action,” he said. “I think this president’s made it very clear that if those actions were to continue, further action will definitely be considered by the United States.”
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Criteria would mark substantial expansion of rules of engagement,
as Rex Tillerson says US would come to defense of civilians
‘anywhere’ amid G7 talks
Julian Borger and David Smith in Washington, Heather Stewart in London and Spencer Ackerman in New York
Monday 10 April 2017 22.10 BST
The Trump administration on Monday signalled much broader grounds for future military intervention in Syria, suggesting it might retaliate against the Assad regime for barrel bomb attacks.
On the eve of a critical visit to Moscow at a time of high US-Russian tensions over Syria, the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, appeared to go even further, saying his country would come to the defence of innocent civilians “anywhere in the world”.
The administration had initially stressed strictly limited objectives for a cruise missile strike last week on a Syrian air force base, saying it was intended to deter the repeat of a chemical attack on Tuesday against civilians and that the focus of US efforts in Syria remains combating the Islamic State (Isis).
On Monday, however, the White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, widened the criteria for retaliation. “When you watch babies and children being gassed, and suffer under barrel bombs, you are instantaneously moved to action,” he said. “I think this president’s made it very clear that if those actions were to continue, further action will definitely be considered by the United States.”
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/10/syria-top-of-agenda-as-g7-foreign-ministers-meet-in-italy
