White House spokesman Sean Spicer delivered a warning to the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad Monday night, June 26.
Spicer said Syria was preparing a chemical weapons attack, and would pay a “heavy price” if it followed through.
“The United States has identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime that would likely result in the mass murder of civilians, including innocent children,” said the White House statement.
It is assumed that Syrian soldiers were seen handling chemical weapons, perhaps loading them on airplanes prior to an airstrike.
The statement did not specify what had been detected, only that “the activities are similar to preparations the regime made before its April 4, 2017, chemical weapons attack.”
That attack killed some hundred civilians including about two dozen children.
The United States responded to that attack by firing 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the air base, which launched the attack.
“As we have previously stated, the United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,” the White House statement said. “If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price.”
U.S. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley tweeted that Russia and Iran would also be held accountable if such an attack were repeated.
