It looks like Russian warships are on the move in the waters around Syria, according to new satellite images from the Tartus port in Syria.
Click to enlarge the images below.
Before:
After:
Either Russia is taking up defensive positions or they are getting them out of the way in case the US strikes the port itself. My guess is the former, which means this could get ugly.
Meanwhile Mattis says he’s still reviewing intel but he’s ready to strike at the president’s call:
#BREAKING: US Defense Sec. Mattis says US is still assessing evidence from purported chemical attack in Syria, and the US military is ready “to provide military options if they are appropriate as the president determines.” (NBC News)
— Frank Macek (@MacekNewsNation) April 11, 2018
SecDef Mattis asked whether he has seen enough evidence to blame the Assad regime for the most recent chemical attack in Syria: "We are still assessing the intelligence ourselves and our allies. We’re still working on this."
— Ryan Browne (@rabrowne75) April 11, 2018
BREAKING - #US Secretary of Defense Mattis says all military preparations for strike against #Syria ready, waiting on Presidents order for which military option he chooses - via @AlSuraEnglish
— Paul Antonopoulos (@oulosP) April 11, 2018
In very much related news, Russia has responded to Trump’s tweets this morning, saying they don’t do Twitter diplomacy and warns the US not to escalate matters:
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it did not engage in “Twitter diplomacy” after US President Donald Trump used the social media platform to warn Russia of imminent military action in Syria, the Interfax news agency reported.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying that care should be taken not to aggravate the situation in Syria.
“We do not participate in Twitter diplomacy,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax. “We support serious approaches. We continue to believe that it is important not to take steps that could harm an already fragile situation.”