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US accuses Syria of chemical attacks to justify its 'criminal acts': Analyst

Sunday, 04 February 2018 8:37 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 04 February 2018 8:57 AM ]

Scott Rickard

The United States frequently accuses the Syrian government of developing and using chemical weapons in order to “justify its illegal and criminal acts” in the war-ravaged country, says an American analyst.

“The sarin gas attacks that they are claiming don’t even occur. I can’t find evidence. There’s no evidence whatsoever,” Scott Rickard, a former intelligence linguist in Orlando, said on Saturday.

On Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said Washington was “concerned” about the use of sarin in Syria, but could not confirm reports from NGOs and militant groups regarding the use of the toxic gas.

"We are even more concerned about the possibility of sarin use... I don't have the evidence, what I am saying is, that other groups on the ground … have said that sarin has been used, so we are looking for evidence," the Pentagon chief said.

President Donald Trump ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base last April following a deadly sarin gas attack in Idlib, which the White House blamed on the Syrian government.

"We are on the record and you all have seen how we reacted to that, so they would be ill-advised to go back to violating the chemical (weapons) convention," Mattis added.

Mattis made the remarks after senior US officials said Trump was prepared to order more strikes amid reports that the Syrian government is developing new types of chemical weapons.

PressTV-Syria rejects US 'lies' on chemical weapons use

Syria says accusations by Washington about the Syrian army’s use of chemicals near Damascus are “lies.”

Officials also pointed the finger at the Syrian government for a chlorine gas attack east of Damascus last week that sickened more than a dozen people.

“At the same time, if you look at the chlorine attacks, these are bombs that are being dropped on rebels who have chlorine stored in order to clean their water,” Rickard said.

“And when a bomb happens to hit a chlorine storage, of course, it creates a chlorine gas explosion, but it’s not emanating from the bomb,” he added.

“So let’s be clear here,” the analyst said, “The Americans are using the same tactics over and over again to justify their illegal and criminal acts against Syria.”

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