Syria Update The Gathering Storm
On Syria, US President, Donald Trump, yesterday promised a strong response after meeting key members of his national security team within a 24-48-hour period. France has reportedly agreed to support the US in joint-military action against Syria.
In related news, the USS Donald Cook, a US destroyer, has left port in Cyprus and is sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and armed with Tomahawk Land Attack Cruise Missiles. It was just announced that President Trump’s trip to Peru and Columbia is being rescheduled. A US P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is reportedly off Syria’s main military port gathering intelligence. Similarly, there are currently unconfirmed reports that Russia is jamming US drone flights over Syria and that a Russian Beriev A-50 early warning and control (AEW) aircraft is airborne off the Syrian coast. As well, there are suggestions that Russian naval forces in the Black and Mediterranean Sea are on heightened alert and air defense alert as part of a 'regular-scheduled' exercise.
This afternoon, it was reported that French fighter jets at the Saint-Dizier-Robinson Air Base have been put on alert for possible airstrikes on Syria. The French Frigate Aquitaine armed with cruise missiles has been buzzed by Russian aircraft and is moving to join the USS Donald Cook and the USS Harry Truman Strike Group has been dispatched to Mediterranean leaving Norfolk tomorrow. British Typhoon fighter aircraft on Cyprus have been put on alert along with a cruise missile carrying Trafalgar class submarine in the Mediterranean.
The US and Russia continue with their allies to spar at the UN Security Council ahead of expected US, British, and French air and missile strikes on Syria.
