President Donald Trump threatened Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for alleged use of chemical weapons Saturday, in a series of Sunday tweets.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
….to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Trump demanded Assad open the area of the alleged attack to international inspectors to verify use of a chemical agent and publicly rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing the Syrian regime. The President has targeted the Assad regime for a chemical weapons attack in the past, striking one of his airfields in April 2017 for use of sarin gas against civilians.
Trump blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to strike the Syrian regime in 2013 for use of chemical weapons, despite pledging to do so in 2012.
If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
“The women, children, and men who died at the hands of the Assad regime on April 4, 2017, deserve justice and we will not rest until the regime is held accountable. We expect all parties involved to live up to their promise in 2013 and to ensure that the Assad regime stops its senseless use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a recent statement, marking the one year anniversary of the attack.