"Russia gives US intel on planned chemical weapons provocation in Syria," fingers British firm

30 Aug, 2018 - 03:24 - updated 05:09
RT

Moscow has briefed US diplomats on a plan by militants to stage a false flag chemical weapons attack in Syria's Idlib province meant to frame Damascus, the Russian ambassador to the US has said.

Anatoly Antonov, the Russian ambassador in Washington, confirmed to the media on Wednesday that he had met with the US special representative to Syria, James Jeffrey, and David M. Satterfield, acting assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs.

The attendees of the rare meeting and the fact that it had taken place earlier this week was revealed by US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert during a daily briefing.

The meeting was called by Russia on Friday and held on Monday, August 27, Antonov said. He commended the US side for coming at such short notice, and described the meeting as "constructive and professional."

[...]

Intelligence that Russia has gathered has been shared with the US, and the diplomats were told "in detail" about the provocation against civilians being prepared by Al-Nusra Front (now known as Tahrir al-Sham) in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier that Tahrir al-Sham was plotting a chemical attack that would then be misrepresented as another 'atrocity' by the 'Syrian regime.' 

Eight canisters of chlorine have been delivered to a village near Jisr al-Shughur city, and a specially trained group of militants, prepped by the British security company Olive [1], also arrived in the area to imitate a rescue operation to save the civilian victims [of the chemical attack]. Militants plan to use child hostages in the staged incident, according to Antonov.

Moscow cautioned Washington against falling for this provocation, noting that a massive airstrike targeting Syria's military and civilian infrastructure will constitute another act of "groundless and illegal aggression" against Syria.

"A new escalation in Syria does not correspond to the interests of any party. We believe that our concern will be heard," Antonov said, adding that he hopes the US "will take every effort to prevent terrorists from using toxic chemicals and will be acting responsibly, in accordance with the status of the UN Security Council permanent member."

President Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton stated last week that the US "will respond very strongly" in case of a chemical attack by Damascus. The warning was interpreted by the Russian Defense Ministry as a veiled confirmation that the US has been considering an airstrike on Syria similar to the one it carried out in April, alongside France and the UK.

[...]

At the meeting, Russia officially conveyed its concerns over reports that Washington together with France and the UK is gearing up for another set of airstrikes in Syria under the pretext of a chemical attack, that would immediately be blamed on the Syrian government. Moscow has asked Washington to "provide the facts without delay" to substantiate [any] new allegations that Damascus uses chemical weapons against its own people.

Such rhetoric fanned by Washington may prompt militants and their pseudo-humanitarian organizations like the White Helmets to mount another provocation using chemical agents, Antonov warned.

[END REPORT]

1) See British security firm Olive plans expansion after US merger; May 7, 2015, The Telegraph (U.K.) and   
Trump And The Return Of Private Military Contractors; January 23, 2017, Lobe Log - see subheader "The Prince of Contractors."

See also White Helmets' Chemical Cargo Transferred to Terrorists' Warehouse in Idlib; August 29, 2018, FARS

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SAA shuts evacuation corridor for Idlib civilians, implying zero hour nigh

August 28, 2019
FARS

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Syrian Army blocked Abu al-Dhohour humanitarian corridor in Southeastern Idlib after over 9,000 people left the terrorist-held regions in recent weeks, implying that the government forces' major operation in Northwestern Syria is imminent, state-run media said on Tuesday.

The Arabic-language al-Watan daily quoted field sources as reporting that the army closed off Abu al-Dhohour humanitarian corridor in Southeastern Idlib which was set up by the army for exit of civilians from terrorist-held regions.

It further said that the army has closed all passageways in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib, adding that over 9,000 civilians have left the terrorist-held region for army-controlled regions via Abu al-Dhohour corridor in the last week.

The daily added that the army has dispatched more forces and equipment to the battlefields in Northern Hama and Southern Idlib for utilizing them in a large-scale operation in the Northwestern part of the country.

A media outlet reported earlier today that the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) announced general mobilization of all their fighters in Northern Syria.

The foreign jihadist group made this announcement in response to large-scale military buildup by the Syrian Army and their allies in the Lattakia, Idlib, Aleppo and Hama provinces, the AMN reported.

According to a Syrian military source in Lattakia, the foreign jihadist group has already begun sending large convoys of reinforcements to al-Ghaab and coastal fronts.

The Turkestan Islamic Party reinforcements reportedly included hundreds of fighters and tens of technical vehicles and tanks.

The aforementioned jihadist group is one of the largest foreign militant entities inside Syria; they are mostly based in Northwest Hama, Northern Lattakia and Southwest Idlib.

[END REPORT]

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"US creates strike force to attack Syria's government"

"In the Idlib de-escalation zone, militants feeling the support of the so-called international community have increased their preparations for the battle against government forces. An important part of these preparations are arrests and abductions of civilians, public figures and field commanders who would probably support peaceful negotiations with Damascus."

No surprises in this SouthFront report for people who've been paying close attention to the war but the report, also available in video, makes for a good summary of important events in the past 10 days or so. 

See also Russia ‘reinforcing military presence in Mediterranean, near Syria’ - AFP via Al Arabiya, August 28

SYRIAN WAR REPORT – AUGUST 28, 2018 

SouthFront

The US military is creating a strike force to carry out an attack on government forces in Syria, which is to be justified by a staged chemical attack in the province of Idlib, the Russian military says.

Besides the already noted deployment of the USS The Sullivans to the Persian Gulf and the rebasing of a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber to an air base in Qatar, the missile destroyer USS Ross carrying 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles entered the Mediterranean. Thus, the US could launch at least 84 Tomahawk cruise missiles and 24 AGM-158 joint air to surface stand-off missiles (JASSM) if it were to decide to strike the war-torn country right now.

According to Russian military spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, “these preparations are fresh confirmation of US intentions to use as a pretext a likely simulation of the government forces’ chemical attack, which Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda] militants are plotting with active support from British secret services.”

Reports are appearing that the Syrian Air Defense Forces (SADF) have already started preparing to repel an expected US-led missile strike by deploying additional specialists and air defense systems near the crucial objects of the infrastructure, which they expect may be targeted.

On August 22, US National Security Advisor John Bolton claimed that “if the Syrian regime uses chemical weapons, we will respond very strongly and they really ought to think about this a long time.” This was only one of a series of threats to the Syrian government issued by the US, the UK and France. While all these threats are clearly exploiting the chemical weapons narrative, their main goal is to prevent the defeat of the terrorists in Idlib by delaying the Syrian Army operation.

On August 25, a source close to the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) told the Kurdish news outlet Bas News that the US-led coalition began deploying radar stations at its bases in the governorates of al-Hasakah and Aleppo as part of a new plan to increase its control of Syrian airspace. The report pointed out the airbases in Kobani and Rmelan as places where the radars were installed. The US 727 Expeditionary Air Control Squadron is reportedly involved in this effort.

Meanwhile, clashes between the Syrian Army and ISIS continued in the area of al-Safa where at least one vehicle of the terrorist group was destroyed. However, ISIS resistance in the desert is still strong enough to draw Syrian military resources from other important frontlines.

In the Idlib de-escalation zone, militants feeling the support of the so-called international community have increased their preparations for the battle against government forces. An important part of these preparations are arrests and abductions of civilians, public figures and field commanders who would probably support peaceful negotiations with Damascus.

[END REPORT]

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US determined to keep al Qaeda in Idlib, get rid of Assad, stay in Syria until pigs fly

I don't believe what the Trump regime is doing in Syria can be characterized as neocolonial, as the Russian envoy to the UN explains it, and I think it's a twaddle that the US is after Syria's piddling natural resources.

In my view Trump is going along with the 'permanent state' in American government, which supports the US dollar regime at all costs, which means supporting the Saudi regime. The Saudis want control of Syria, so that's what the permanent state wants. If that means tolerating al Qaeda, so be it. 

As to why the Russians don't come out and say any of this, I think it's because they don't want to antagonize the Saudi regime any more than they have to. 

But notice from the following report the latest US rationale for going after Iran's presence in Syria:  the Iranians are helping Assad stay in power. 

The only good news in all this is that the dollar regime is entering its twilight years. The end of U.S. dollar hegemony will be a very good thing for the entire world, including America, because the dollar regime has outlived its usefulness; it's now a liability in a highly interconnected era of global trade, where diversifying financial risk is crucial. It's folly to concentrate the risk in a single dominant currency. But try telling this to the U.S. Department of Treasury. 

US chose ‘neocolonial course’ in Syria to gain control over its resources – Russian envoy to UN
28 Aug, 2018 - 21:08 Edited 29 Aug August 29 , 2018 - 06:29
Sputnik

Washington pursues a “neocolonial” policy aimed at dividing Syria and ultimately seizing its resources, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said during a special UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting.

The US “continues its inherently neocolonial course aimed at division of [Syria]” as the US-led coalition supports the establishment of some “loyal governmental substitutes,” Nebenzia said during the UNSC session on Tuesday, as he slammed Washington’s actions in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.

He also drew attention to the fact that the coalition consistently expands its presence in Syria by building new bases and strengthening its forces.

“It is becoming clear that [the US-led coalition] attempts to take hold of the Syrian territory and gain control over its resources,” the Russian diplomat said during the urgent UNSC session, convened at Russia’s request to discuss the situation in Syria’s Idlib province. Located in Syria’s northwest, this region is the only one still mostly controlled by various militant groups, including some terrorist organizations such as Al-Nusra (now known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham).

Earlier on Tuesday, the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, de facto admitted that the US plans to stay in Syria indefinitely. He said that, apart from fighting terrorists on Syrian soil, US forces also intend to train local armed groups to serve as what he called a “security force.”

“What is really important… is training a security forces necessary to stabilize those areas that have already been cleared of ISIS and that is going to take some time to do that,” Dunford said during a joint Pentagon press briefing with US Defense Secretary James Mattis. The general also said that US “won’t be ready to talk about reconstruction until there’s a political solution.”

Mattis, meanwhile, made more specific comments concerning the US plans for Syria.

“Our goal is to move the Syrian Civil War into the Geneva process, so the Syrian people can establish a new government that is not led by Assad,” he said. The Pentagon head also said that Iranian forces have no right to be in Syria, as they support the government in Damascus.

However, Russia and Iran sent their forces and advisers to Syria at the official request of the Syrian government, to help it fight terrorists, while the US and its allies have been operating in Syria without approval from Syrian authorities or any UN mandate.

‘Politicized approach’

Nebenzia also condemned the politicized approach of Washington to rebuilding Syria, bringing up the internal UN directive that severely limits the UN agencies’ cooperation with Syria until a "political transition" takes place there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov raised the issue last week and linked the release of the directive with the "absolutely deconstructive" US stance on Syrian reconstruction. Washington has refused to fund any rebuilding programs in Syria on territories under government control, continuing the policy set under the Obama administration that “Assad must go” first.

The internal UN document, titled 'Parameters and Principles of UN Assistance in Syria' and issued by the UN Secretariat in October 2017 without UNSC approval, says that any UN aid for reconstruction efforts will be possible only following "political transition" in Syria. It also limits the ability of UN agencies to cooperate with Damascus under various pretexts, and even says that the UN "will not promote the return of refugees” to Syria.

After the UN secretary-general’s office denied the existence of any such document, the Russian Foreign Ministry cited the directive in detail in a statement to the media.

The document “does exist despite the phony attempts to deny this fact,” Nebenzia said during the UNSC meeting, adding that the directive “strikingly resembles” a “well-known politicized stance of some western countries.” Such an “irresponsible”approach runs counter to the UN principle of neutrality, he said.

Syrian army has no chemical weapons or plans to use them

The Russian envoy to the UN then expressed Moscow’s concerns over potential false flag attacks involving the use of chemical weapons, which could be used by Western states as a pretext to launch airstrikes against Damascus.

“The Syrian Army has no chemical weapons and no plans to use it,” Nebenzia said, adding that it would be absolutely senseless from a military point of view. At the same time, he said that the US and its allies could “wait for a militants’ provocation” and then conduct another air strike while accusing the Syrian government of being responsible for the chemical incident

Earlier in the day, Mattis said that Washington has been in “active communication” with Moscow to prevent any chemical weapon attacks in Syria. At the same time, he once again said that the US would not hesitate to respond if an attack takes place.

"You have seen our administration act twice on the use of chemical weapons,” Mattis told reporters, referencing US airstrikes against the Syrian government after alleged chemical attacks. “I will assure you that the Department of State has been in active communication, recent active communication, with Russia to enlist them in preventing this. I’ll just leave it at that for right now. But communication is going on.”

Last week, US National Security Adviser John Bolton also 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.” On Monday, however, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that US-sponsored opposition forces may be preparing to stage a fake chemical attack to lure the US into retaliatory strikes against the Syrian government.

"The implementation of this provocation, which is being conducted with the assistance of the British intelligence services, is meant to serve as the latest pretext for the US, Britain and France to deliver a missile strike against state and economic facilities in Syria,” General Igor Konashenkov, the spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said.

As the specter of a chemical attack looms, the US is building up its military presence in the region. Last weekend, the missile destroyer USS Ross was deployed to the Mediterranean, carrying 28 Tomahawk cruise missiles. It came after a similar move of the USS The Sullivans to the Persian Gulf and the rebasing of a B-1B Lancer strategic bomber to an air base in Qatar. The Russian ministry said the “preparations are the latest evidence of the US intention to use” a chemical provocation.

[END REPORT]

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"Assad rejected the generous but poisoned offer"

Hezbollah has proven its fidelity to Syria, whose President Bashar al-Assad rejected a recent offer from Saudi Arabia to rebuild everything the seven years of war has destroyed and to remain as president – with US backing – on the condition that he give up on Palestine and Hezbollah. Assad rejected the “generous” but poisoned offer – as he has described it in private.

The years of war taught Assad to distinguish between allies and countries such as Saudi Arabia who invested much to remove him from power at the cost of destroying the country: 

'An ideological ally (Hezbollah) is better than the richest of all countries because this real ally did not and would never abandon him, and has no ambitions in Syria but to see stability in the Levant and to prevent Takfiri Jihadists – supported by Arab and western countries – from creating a failed state', Assad repeats often to his visitors.

Indeed, Hezbollah has given orders to evacuate its military units from all Syrian cities and villages, without exception: no Hezbollah military forces are to remain in urban areas. They (military) will be present only on the borders between the two countries.

The above quotes are from Elijah J. Magnier's "After the failed attempt at Syrian regime change the next target is Hezbollah," published August 26, 2018. 

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Yoohoo White Helmets, the Russians are watching you

The very ground has sprouted eyes and ears in Idlib, and all the busybodies there have the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Warring Parties on speed-dial. 

I do have one quibble with Moscow based on the following report. Why haven't they also called on the British government to intervene against a 'chemical provocation' in Syria? Why just Germany and the United States? Oh wait, I forgot the White Helmets are a British invention even though the U.S. is throwing them funding.   

Russian MoD: White Helmets Preparing to Stage Chemical Attack in Idlib

August 28, 2018 - 23:04 

Sputnik

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Representatives of the White Helmets group have delivered a large shipment of toxic substances to a warehouse used by Ahrar al-Sham militants in Idlib province, Maj. Gen. Alexei Tsygankov, head of the Russian Center for Syrian Reconciliation, said on Tuesday.

"According to information received by the Russian Center for reconciliation of warring parties in Syria from independent sources located in the province of Idlib, a large shipment of toxic substances, accompanied by eight representatives of the White Helmets, was delivered from the village of Afs to the settlement of Saraqib, to a warehouse used by the militants from the Ahrar al-Sham group to store weapons and fuel supplies. They were met by two high-ranking commanders from the above-mentioned illegal armed group," Tsygankov said at a daily briefing.

"A part of this shipment in unmarked plastic barrels was later transported to another militant base in the southern part of Idlib province in order to stage a false-flag chemical attack and subsequently accuse the government forces of the use of toxic agents against civilians," Tsygankov added.

Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said on Sunday that the White Helmets group in Syria plans to film videos for Middle Eastern and English-language media outlets after staging a false-flag chemical weapons attack aimed at sharply destabilizing the situation in the war-torn country.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow has called on Germany and the United States to influence the armed opposition in Syria's Idlib province [against] possible provocations with the use of chemical weapons in the area.

Ryabkov stressed that the Nusra Front [aka al Qaeda] terrorist group, which now refers to itself as the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group, was plotting a very serious provocation in the Idlib area with the use of chemical weapons. According to the deputy minister, the White Helmets group in Syria will film a video of the 'chemical attack,' and the provocation might be used [by U.S. coalition] as a pretext for massive strikes on Syria.

[END REPORT]

See also: U.S. commits funds for Syria's White Helmets; June 14, 2018, Washington Times

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Yup, bad guys in Syria can't even sneeze anymore without Russians taking note

Earlier today, the Arabic-language website of Sputnik quoted well-informed sources as disclosing that the White Helmets transferred a consignment of chemicals from a chlorine-producing company in Atmah at the border with Turkey to Northern Hama on Sunday night.

It further said that the chemical consignment, hidden in five trucks for carrying sand, was transferred from Northern Idlib to Northern Hama under tight security measures.

From Syria: Tens of Children Kidnapped for False-Flag Chemical Attack Videos - FARS, August 27, 2018. Regarding the headline, Al-Watan might be connecting too many dots -- although what the bad guys did with the 40 or so kids is highly suspicious because they aren't holding them for ransom. 

But the way the children's whereabouts has been tracked (see report) is another illustration that it's gotten very hard to be sneaky in Syria without some 'local source' noticing. The whole country has sprouted eyes and ears.

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Once again, "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo"

"For each seeker You are there as far as he can reach"

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Live - "Allah Hoo Allah Hoo" (1993)

YouTube.  

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" ‘Foreign specialists’ may stage false-flag chemical attack in Syria in 2 days ..."

Published time: 26 Aug, 2018 - 09:33 (Edited 11:43)

RT

“Foreign specialists” have arrived in Syria and may stage a chemical attack using chlorine in “the next two days,” the Russian Defense Ministry said. This will be filmed for international media in order to frame Damascus forces.

Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said the operation is planned to unfold in the village of Kafr Zita in Syria’s northwestern Hama Province in “the next two days.”

Konashenkov said that “English-speaking specialists” are already in place to use “poisonous agents.” While a group of residents from the north has been transported to Kafr Zita and is currently being prepared “to take part in the staging of the attack” and be filmed suffering from supposed “‘chemical munitions’ and ‘barrel bombs’ launched by the Syrian government forces.”

The groups of residents will be used to assist “fake rescuers from the White Helmets.” They will be filmed apparently suffering from the effects of chemical weapons and then be shown in “the Middle Eastern and English-language media.”

The defense ministry earlier warned that the US, UK, and France are preparing to use the planned attack as a pretext for airstrikes against Syria. The USS The Sullivans, an Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer, was already deployed to the Persian Gulf a couple of days ago.

On August 22, US National Security Adviser John 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 earlier warned that the US is not finished looking for pretexts for regime change in Damascus.

In April, the US, UK, and France unleashed a bombing campaign on Syria in response to an alleged gas attack in Douma, 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.

[END REPORT]

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"Russian warships heading to Syria in response to US threats" BREAKING NEWS

By Zen Adra
August 26, 2018
Al Masdar News
[see photos at AMN website]


DAMASCUS, SYRIA (4:15 P.M [9:15 AM EDT].) – Russian warships have sailed through the Bosphorus into the Mediterranean in response to US President Trump’s threats to strike Syria.

Four Russian navy ships, including Project 266M Natya 1 class minesweeper, Valentin Pikul 770, ВМФ Project 22870 ЧФ BSF and rescue tug Prof Nikolay Muru, were spotted heading to the Russian navy base in Syria’s Tartus.

Up to 17 Russian warships have crossed the Bosphorus into Syria so far this week.

The deployment of the Russian fleet comes as the US President Donald Trump threatened to strike the Syrian Army ahead of the long-awaited battle of Idlib.

[END REPORT]

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Syrian War News Headlines

• Links from FARS 
• US Military Stations Advanced Radars at Bases in Northern Syria to Create No-Fly Zone
• Terrorists Focus on Forced Recruitment to Counter Gov't Forces' Operation in Idlib
• Analyst: Russian, Syrian Defense Shields Fully Ready to Confront Western Airstrikes
• Syrian Army Keeps Rolling on ISIL's Last Positions in Deserts of Sweida
• Syrian Army Sends More Troops to Hama, Lattakia Provinces for Idlib Offensive
• Syrian Army Readying for Heavy Offensive against ISIL Near Border with Iraq
• Turkey-Backed Militants Enraging Local Population by Continued Land Seizure in Northern Syria
• US Forces, Allied Militia Start Extracting Crude from Syria's Second Largest Oilfield

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Drudge picks up on report about planned false-flag chemical attack in Idlib

The headline at Drudge Report (as of 8 pm EDT) reads "Moscow Warns Staged 'Chemical Provocation' Coming in Syria." Now if only Drudge would pick up on the Russian bombshell dropped at Thursday's UNSC meeting but that would be asking too much. Anyhow the headline links to a Zero Hedge report titled "Russia Warns Staged 'Chemical Provocation' Coming In Syria After Bolton Cites New Intel:"

Russia is again warning of a new potential chemical provocation in Syria at the end of a week in which US National Security Advisor John Bolton threatened Damascus with a "very strong" military response should allegations emerge amidst the Syrian Army campaign to liberate Idlib.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Saturday per state-run TASS:

A provocation with an alleged chemical weapons use in Syria, which terrorists are plotting to stage with the assistance of UK special services, will serve as a pretext for missile strikes by the West and the United States against the Arab country, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday.

According to the Russian general, the provocation will be staged by terrorists of the Hayat Tahrir ash-Sham terrorist organization (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, outlawed in Russia [and the US]) and for this purpose eight containers with chlorine have been brought to the Idlib province.

The mention of UK special forces and eight containers of chlorine suggest that Russia is claiming to possess specified intelligence.
[...]

Specified intelligence -- ya think so, eh? 

See my post on the Russian report. But from the time stamp, Zero Hedge (and Sic Semper Tyrannis and AMN) beat me to the punch, which makes me happy -- and I'm even happier Drudge picked up on the story. 

Now let's see if any other web sites are on the ball. Give me a moment [taptaptap tap. tap.] Yes! Several have posted the story including, oh joy, Germany's big newspaper, Deutsche Welle! And yes DW is published in English.   

But hold on, what's this? How did I miss this when it was first published? From the second page of Google's list of sites carrying reports today on a "chemical provocation" in Idlib:

April 13, 2018Reuters

(MOSCOW) Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Friday that Britain was involved in faking a suspected chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma.

[...]

In a televised briefing on Friday, Russia’s Ministry of Defence repeated the government’s stance that the attack was faked, adding that it had proof that Britain participated in its staging.

“We have... evidence that proves Britain was directly involved in organizing this provocation,” defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.

[...]

The British vehemently denied the accusation -- see the rest of the report -- but the Reuters report indicates the Russians have been tracking British involvement in chemical provocations in Syria since at least as early as the Douma attack.

Well now the Russians have gotten a little more specific in their accusations, although the "Olive" military firm they mentioned today could have as many if not more connections with the U.S. government as the British one. See the update to my 3 PM report. 

What next? If the chemical provocation story grows enough legs Fox Cable News television could pick up on it. Given the gossip that President Trump gets much of his 'intel' from watching Fox, this would mean America's president could learn of the possibility that the British are fooling around with chlorine, or at least teaching a Syrian terror group to use the stuff for nefarious purposes. 

That's the hopeful news to come from Drudge's attention to the story. The unhopeful news is that Mr Trump grandly ignored all evidence that earlier allegations of Syrian military use of chemical weapons were false. So if he wants to use a chemical attack in Idlib as an excuse to bomb the country's military he'll do it, no matter how many indications the attack was staged to frame the military. He won't even wait for an investigation of any such attack.

All right; here's the list from page one of Google's internet sites now reporting on the story; I used the keywords "chemical provocation British Idlib" to pull up the reports; more creative keywording could well pull up more:

Russia claims Syrian rebels planning Idlib chemical weapons ... - DW

https://www.dw.com/en/russia-claims-syrian-rebels...idlib-chemical.../a-45223057

1 hour ago - Russia also says a British contractor is helping the militants. ... is "preparing another provocation of the 'use of chemical weapons' by Syrian ...

Russia accuses Syrian rebels of preparing Idlib chemical attack

www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/syria/25082018

12 hours ago - Konashenkov accused British special services of being “actively involved” in the “provocation” which will “serve as another reason for the US, ...

Breaking: Jihadists preparing chemical weapons provocation in Idlib ...

https://www.almasdarnews.com › Syria

16 hours ago - Breaking: Jihadists preparing chemical weapons provocation in Idlib ... UK and French airstrikes on Syrian targets, Konashenkov added.

Russia accuses Syrian rebels of preparing Idlib chemical attack ...

https://gulfnews.com/.../russia-accuses-syrian-rebels-of-preparing-idlib-chemical-attac...

14 hours ago - Konashenkov accused British special services of being “actively involved” in the “provocation” which will “serve as another reason for the US, ...

Russia Warns Staged "Chemical Provocation" Coming In Syria After ...

https://www.zerohedge.com/.../us-says-assad-will-use-chemical-weapons-idlib-russia-...

10 hours ago - Russia is again warning of a new potential chemical provocation in Syria at ... to stage with the assistance of UK special services, will serve as a pretext for ... to resume offensive military activities in Idlib province," Bolton said.

i24NEWS - Russia accuses Syrian rebels of preparing Idlib chemical ...

https://www.i24news.tv/.../182598-180825-russia-accuses-syrian-rebels-of-preparing-i...

16 hours ago - Russia accuses Syrian rebels of preparing Idlib chemical attack ... the "provocation" which will "serve as another reason for the US, the UK and ...

US, UK and France Prepare New Strike Against Syria - Russian MoD ...

https://sputniknews.com/.../201808251067461189-us-uk-france-syria-new-strike-russi...

20 hours ago - ... militants are arriving in Syria's Idlib after being trained by a private British military ... READ MORE: US' Warning Against Syrian Chemical Weapons Use ... "This provocation with the active participation of the British special ...

Russian Defense Ministry says US, allies ready for new strikes on Syria

www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/25/c_137418834.htm

10 hours ago - However, the planned "chemical attack" by Syrian government ... of a British private military company, have been brought to Idlib for the ... "The execution of this provocation with the active participation of the British special ...

Syrian rebels planning chemical attack in Idlib to provoke US ...

www.arabnews.com/node/1361661/middle-east

Syrian rebels planning chemical attack in Idlib to provoke US retaliation, ... British special services of being “actively involved” in the “provocation” which will ...

TASS: World - White Helmets mulling provocation in Syria's Idlib ...

tass.com/world/1011225

Jun 28, 2018 - White Helmets mulling provocation in Syria's Idlib province - Reconciliation Center ... aprovocation with the use of chemical substances in Syria's Idlib ... On April 14, the United States, the UK and France delivered missile

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