White House says Syrian regime will pay a heavy price if the assault occurs

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be preparing another chemical weapons attack, one that would result in the “mass murder” of civilians, the White House said on Monday, warning the regime would pay a “heavy price” if it went ahead with such an assault.

The White House said the preparations were similar to those undertaken by the Assad regime ahead of an apparent chemical attack on a rebel-held town in April.

Washington launched a retaliatory cruise missile strike days later against a Syrian airbase from where it said the chemical weapons attack was launched. That assault with 59 Tomahawk missiles marked the first direct U.S. attack on the Syrian regime and Mr. Trump’s most dramatic military action since he took power in January. It also led to a quick downward spiral in ties between Washington and Moscow, which accused the U.S. of breaking international law. Russia has supported the Syrian regime since 2015 with air strikes against what it says are Islamist extremists.

“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,” spokesman Sean Spicer said in a statement Monday night.

The two-paragraph communiqué did not offer any evidence justifying the sternly worded warning. “The activities are similar to preparations the regime made before its April 4, 2017, chemical weapons attack.”

The suspected attack in April in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun killed at least 87 people, including many children. The U.S. State Department said it amounted to a war crime.

State Department officials who would normally be involved in a big announcement such as Monday’s warning to Syria said they were caught by surprise, the Los Angeles Times reported.

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the BBC on Tuesday morning he would support U.S. military action in case of a chemical attack by the Assad regime. “As always in war, the military action you use must be justified, it must be legal, it must proportionate, it must be necessary. In the last case it was,” Mr. Fallon said.

‘Unacceptable threat’

Ali Haidar, the Syrian Minister for National Reconciliation, meanwhile, dismissed the White House statement.

The Kremlin also dismissed the White House claim. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “such threats to Syria’s legitimate leaders are unacceptable.” Mr. Peskov criticised the Trump administration for using the phrase “another chemical weapons attack”, arguing that an independent investigation into the April attack was never conducted despite Russia’s calls for one.

Focus on Islamic State

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the U.S. will not be drawn into Syria's civil war.

Speaking to reporters on a military plane late on Monday as he headed for meetings in Europe, Mr. Mattis said the U.S.-led coalition was determined to keep a strict focus on fighting the Islamic State group.

“We won’t fire unless they are the enemy, unless they are ISIS,” he said, using an acronym for the jihadist organisation. “We just refuse to get drawn into a fight there in the Syria civil war, we try to end that one through diplomatic engagement.”