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Pentagon: Chemical Weapons Activity Seen at Syrian Air Base

Accepted submission by takyon at 2017-06-27 20:46:03
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/27/world/middleeast/syria-chemical-attack-trump.html [nytimes.com]

American officials have seen chemical weapons activity at a Syrian air base that was used in the spring nerve gas attack on rebel-held territory, the Defense Department said on Tuesday, scrambling to explain what prompted a White House statement a day earlier that Syria would "pay a heavy price" [nytimes.com] if it carried out another one.

Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters that what looked like active preparations for a chemical attack were seen at Al Shayrat airfield, which was struck in April by American cruise missiles [nytimes.com] two days after the Syrian government dropped bombs loaded with toxic chemicals in northern Syria. Another Defense Department official said that an aircraft shelter at Al Shayrat that had been hit by an American Tomahawk missile was being used for the preparation.

Syrian and Russian officials rejected the accusation, calling the White House statement a provocation.

Also at NBC [nbcnews.com] and The Hill [thehill.com].


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