Russia Submitted Proof of False-Flag Chemical-Weapons Plot to OPCW & UN – Lavrov

FILE PHOTO. © Hummam Sheikh Ali / Global Look Press

There is “no doubt” that militants are plotting a false-flag chemical-weapons attack in Syria’s Idlib province, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that Moscow has provided proof of the plot to the UN and OPCW.

“We have presented concrete facts obtained from various sources both to the UN and to The Hague, where the OPCW (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) headquarters is located,” Lavrov said, while speaking about the risk of a false-flag attack involving the use of chemical weapons in Syria, adding that “these facts are congruent.”

Lavrov said that “there is no doubt that such provocations are being prepared.” He explained that terrorist groups entrenched in Syria’s northwestern province, including Al-Nusra Front (now known as Tahrir al-Sham), are trying to derail the separation of terrorists from other armed groups “in every possible way.”

The foreign minister also said that Russia would continue to support Damascus in its fight against terrorists and is open about its actions. “We have no plans to conceal what we do to back the Syrian government, which is liberating its land from terrorists to [allow] the Syrian citizens to return to… normal life as soon as possible,” Lavrov told journalists during a joint press conference with Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed in Sochi.

No-one in the west has ever mentioned any concern about getting Syrian migrants back to Syria and resuming a normal life. This would seem an obvious strategy to reduce the number of migrants in Europe and ease the financial and political struggles caused by their presence. It's mystifying why Europe seems so disinterested in that.

Earlier, Russia’s representative to the OPCW, Aleksandr Shulgin, told journalists that Moscow had handed evidence of the planned false-flag attack to the OPCW Director General Fernando Arias. The Syrian government also sent its own data to the OPCW, he added, while warning that the attack could be staged “at any moment.”

Moscow has previously accused Washington of helping militants with a false-flag plot with a view to blaming the Syrian authorities for the attack and thus justify new airstrikes against Syria. The planned airstrike is allegedly a lot larger in scale than the one carried out by the US, the UK and France in April.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has said that the chemicals needed for the fake attack have been already delivered to the area, citing sources on the ground. It accused the White Helmets group of assisting the terrorists with the delivery.

In an earlier report it suggested that terrorists would dress-up as White Helmets while assisting with the delivery of chemical weapons.

Idlib Province, Syria

U.N. Syria Envoy Warns of 'Perfect Storm' in Idlib

By Daniel Uria

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned of a "perfect storm" facing the Syrian province of Idlib, where government forces, backed by Russia seek to eliminate terrorist groups. Photo by Olivier Hoslet/EPA

(UPI) -- U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned of a "perfect storm" facing the country's Idlib province Thursday.

De Mistra expressed concern for the residents of Idlib as President Bashar al-Assad's government forces, which are backed by Russia, are expected to launch an offensive to clear militants from the al-Qaida and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham -- also known as the al-Nusra Front -- militant groups from the area.

"While we are talking, there are some discussions taking place, and we hope that they will be fruitful but that doesn't mean that we should be not worried, on the contrary, we are worried about any hurried escalation," he said.

The Russian military amassed a fleet of at least 10 warships and two submarines off Syria's northwest coast in preparation for an assault on the Idlib militants on Tuesday.

Russia said the buildup was in response to possible airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition against Syrian government forces and that rebels in Idlib were planning to stage chemical weapon attacks on civilians and blame Assad's regime.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russia's state-run Tass news agency that militants in Idlib were trying to hold civilians hostage to be used as human shields after talks with Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir.

"Idlib is the last major stronghold of terrorists who are trying to gamble on the status of the de-escalation zone and hold civilians as human shields and bring the armed formations ready for negotiations with the Syrian government to their knees," Lavrov said. "So, from all standpoints, this 'abscess' has to be liquidated."

De Mistra agreed the militant groups must be eliminated from the area, but called for more time to establish a method to keep the 2.9 million civilians in the province safe.

"There are ways to save people but we need the government to actually cooperate and provide guarantees for their own well-being with humanitarian presence," he said.

He expressed particular concern for about 1.4 million people living in Idlib who have already been displaced at least once amid similar assaults in Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta and would have nowhere else to go.

"So far, every time there was a crisis and there was a conclusion of that one crisis, there was a place where many could opt to go, there is no other Idlib," he said "It would be a tragic irony frankly, if at almost the end of what we consider at the moment in front of our eyes, a territorial war inside Syria, we would be witnessing the most horrific tragedy to the largest number of civilians."

It would be even more tragic if western powers get involved and run a false flag chemical attack and use it as an excuse to escalate the war. 

US, UK & France Plotting Another False Flag Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria

This is pretext for another assault. Are they determined to remove Assad,
or do they just want to use up some missiles approaching their expiry date?

Whatever it is, they seem determined to make sure peace doesn't break out in that beleaguered country. Why do France and the UK seem so determined to keep Syrian refugees in Europe rather than allowing them to go home?
It's very curious.

Terrorists readying chemical attack to frame Damascus & provide pretext for US strikes – Russian MoD

FILE PHOTO A US Air Force B-1B Lancer / AFP

The US and its allies are preparing new airstrikes on Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that militants are poised to stage a chemical weapons attack in order to frame Damascus and provide a pretext for the strikes.

The attack would be used as a pretext for US, UK and French airstrikes on Syrian targets, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov said. USS ‘The Sullivans,’ an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, was already deployed to the Persian Gulf a couple of days ago, he added.

The destroyer has 56 cruise missiles on board, according to data from the Russian Defence Ministry. A US Rockwell B-1 Lancer, a supersonic bomber equipped with 24 cruise missiles, has also been deployed at the Qatari Al Udeid Airbase. 

The provocations are being prepared by militants from Al-Nusra Front (now known as Tahrir al-Sham) in Idlib province, northwestern Syria.

In order to stage the attack, some eight canisters of chlorine were delivered in to village near Jisr al-Shughur city for the terrorists’ use, he added. A separate group of militants, prepped by private British security company Olive, have also arrived in the area. The group will be disguised as volunteers from the White Helmets group and will simulate a rescue operation involving locals purportedly injured in the attack, according to the military official.

According to the Defense Ministry spokesman, recent statements by US National Security Advisor John Bolton – in which he threatened to bomb Syria – could be interpreted as an implicit confirmation of such airstrikes. On August 22, Bolton stated that “... if the Syrian regime uses chemical weapons, we will respond very strongly and they really ought to think about this a long time.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned Washington against new reckless moves in Syria, RIA Novosti reported. “We hear ultimatums from Washington, including those made in public,” the top official said, apparently referring to Bolton’s recent remarks.

According to Ryabkov, the US is aiming to destabilize Syria and create new pretexts for regime change in Damascus. “Again, we are witnessing serious escalation of the situation [in Syria],” he added.

In April, the US, UK and France unleashed a bombing campaign on Syria. The airstrikes were carried out in response to an alleged gas attack in Douma on April 7, which the West blamed on Bashar Assad’s government. The operation started hours before a team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was due to reach the city.

Back then, Syrian defenses were scrambled to repel some 103 cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles launched at civilian and military targets by the Western trio. It managed to intercept at least 71 of them, the Russian Defense Ministry said at the time.

See also:

Tucker Carlson slams US foreign policy in no-holds-barred monologue on Syria, social media explodes

Is Assad to Blame for the Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria?

US Ready to Turn Syria into Another Libya

Lies, Hypocrisy, Intrigue, and 'Whataboutism' Surround Douma CW Investigation

Hysteria Over Alleged Syrian Chemical Attack Will Result in Disaster

Khan Sheikhun Sarin Gas Attack was a False Flag Operation

UK Reporter Astounded By What He Found in Douma

German Reporter Says Douma was Completely Staged - MSM Won't Report It

Establishment Outraged at Rep Tulsi Gabbard for Fact-Finding Trip to Syria

US Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) © Mike Segar / Reuters

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii has stirred up the US foreign policy establishment by going on a private fact-finding mission to Syria. Gabbard has opposed the US policy of regime change in Syria and championed a bill to stop arming terrorists there.

Gabbard’s trip to Syria and Lebanon was made public on Wednesday by Foreign Policy, a magazine close to the very interventionist establishment in Washington long criticized by the Hawaii Democrat.

A veteran of the Iraq War and major in the Hawaii National Guard, Gabbard “has long been committed to peace and ending counterproductive, interventionist wars,” her spokesperson Emily Latimer said in a statement Wednesday.

Gabbard has been a vocal critic of outgoing President Barack Obama’s policy of demanding the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad and blaming his government for the bloody war with Islamist rebels.

"As a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, and as an individual committed to doing all she can to promote and work for peace, she felt it was important to meet with a number of individuals and groups including religious leaders, humanitarian workers, refugees and government and community leaders," Latimer said in a statement.

Middle East pundit Charles Lister, among others, dubbed Gabbard an “Assad apologist,” while Washington pundits wondered aloud if she met with the Syrian leader.

Latimer did not provide any details of Gabbard’s itinerary to the media, citing security concerns.

One of the stops on the trip was Aleppo, AFP reported on Thursday, citing the Syrian daily Al-Watan. According to the paper, the US delegation that included Gabbard visited the historic citadel and eastern parts of the city that were held by Islamist rebels until December 22.

The surfing congresswoman famously resigned as the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee last year and endorsed Bernie Sanders for the party presidential nomination.

In November, she accepted an invitation from President-elect Donald Trump to discuss Syria and the US efforts to fight Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, sparking speculation that he might appoint her to a Cabinet post.

“Where I disagree with President-elect Trump on issues, I will not hesitate to express that disagreement,” she said at the time. “However, I believe we can disagree, even strongly, but still come together on issues that matter to the American people and affect their daily lives.”

On December 8, Gabbard introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act, which would prohibit the US government from arming and funding “Sunni militant groups working to overthrow the Assad regime, such as the Levant Front, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham [Al-Nusra Front], and al Qaeda,” in the words of Foreign Policy.

Gabbard may be the only honest voice in America regarding the war in Syria. She seems to be right-on. It's easier for her to critique America's position and involvement in Syria since she represents a state that does not manufacture weapons, etc. 

This woman has the nerve and the intelligence to be a candidate for the next president although she seems to be burning some bridges behind her which would make that objective much more difficult to reach. Still, can you imagine a female, Samoan-American who practices Hinduism as the next POTUS? Almost as much fun as Donald Trump!