Was Russia involved in the Tuesday Sarin Gas attack that killed 87 people, including 23 children in Khan Sheikhoun? The question is being raised after a drone that belongs to either Russia or Syria was seen over the Syrian town after the chemical attack.
The sight of the drone has led to a U.S. investigation into the possible involvement of Russia in the gas attack, New York Daily News reported. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he does not have any information to share with the public yet on the possible involvement of Russia in the chemical attack.
However, Syria denied it used chemical weapons and insisted the gas attack was the result of its bombs hitting a plant run by rebels who stored nerve gas in the facility.
Reviving the Cold War
The chemical attack led U.S. President Donald Trump to order the airstrike on Thursday night on Shayrat air base which destroyed military facilities. The Pentagon’s unleashing of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles brought a U.S. clash with the Russian military a step closer because there were Russian military personnel and equipment at Shayrat. In response to the airstrikes, the Kremlin deployed a warship to the Mediterranean Sea, while Syria sent more jets on more bombing missions.
Taking sides
Besides raising the possibility of escalating tension in the region and even the specter of World War III, it also divided world leaders as some approved of Trump’s order, while Russia and Syria hit Washington for breaching international law.
Russia siding with Syria could lead to new economic sanctions Washington plans to implement against Syria, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said.
North Korea also sided with Russia and Syria, as expected. In a statement posted on the KCNA news agency, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said, “The U.S. missile attack against Syria is a clear and unforgivable act of aggression against a sovereign state and we strongly condemn this.”
North Korea is now the third ally of Russia and Syria after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad spoke with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, KCNA reported. Bashar allegedly thanked the North Korean dictator for taking its side. Iran also condemned the U.S. airstrike.
