Mike Pompeo said that 'a couple hundred Russians' were killed during US airstrikes on Syria
Seven US military aircraft have conducted reconnaissance missions near the coast of Syria, where Russia's Hmeymim airbase and Tartus naval base are located, Moscow's military flight monitoring centre tweeted on Friday. Six US Navy P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft departed from an airbase on the Italian island of Sicilia, and an EP-3E Aries II reconnaissance aircraft flew from the base on the Greek island of Crete, Xinhua news agency reported. The escalation of tension around Syria comes against the backdrop of reports on the latest chemical weapons use in Eastern Ghouta's Douma which killed 74 people including children.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday took a step back on comments he made about a possible attack on Syria, saying an attack could take place "very soon or not so soon at all". He has now also argued that he never signaled the timing of retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack, that he had suggested was imminent a day earlier. Trump's latest comment came in a tweet after warning Russia to "get ready" for a missile attack on its ally Syria. Despite that warning, Trump tweeted: "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place."
Worries about a confrontation between Russia, Syria's big ally, and the West have been running high since Trump said on Wednesday that missiles "will be coming" in response to the attack in the Syrian town of Douma on April 7, and lambasted Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump on Wednesday had vowed to punish not only President Bashar al-Assad of Syria for the attack, but also Syria’s Russian and Iranian allies. A Russian official said that any American missiles fired at Syria would be shot down, and Trump responded in a tweet that Russia should “get ready” for missiles that would be “nice and new and ‘smart.’”
Syria, Russia and Iran have denied the use of chemical weapons, accusing the rebels and rescue workers of concocting the story to gain sympathy as their defeat loomed.
Top 10 developments on Syria attack, Donald Trump and Russia reaction
1. Trump says Syria attack 'very soon or not so soon at all': President Donald Trump said Thursday that a US missile strike on Syria may not be imminent. "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! 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 said on Twitter.
Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! 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?”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2018
2. US airstrikes in February killed ‘a couple hundred Russians’, says Mike Pompeo: CIA Director Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that “a couple hundred Russians” were killed during US airstrikes on Syria earlier this year. Pompeo was speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing to become secretary of state when he revealed details about the February 7 attack on Russian mercenaries. Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “a couple hundred Russians were killed.”
3. UNSC must prevent Syria spiralling out of control, says UN: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed to the five permanent members of the Security Council to break the current deadlock on reported use of chemical weapons in Syria and prevent the situation spiralling out of control in the war-torn country. "I have also been closely following developments in the Security Council and regret that the Council has so far been unable to reach agreement on this issue, Guterres said in a statement. "Let us not forget that, ultimately, our efforts must be about ending the terrible suffering of the Syrian people," he added. Guterres said that he called the ambassadors of the five permanent Council members China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States on Wednesday to reiterate his "deep concern about the risks of the current impasse" and stressed the need to "avoid the situation spiraling out of control."
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