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Syrian MP: Why Didn’t US Use Its 'Smart Missiles' Against Terrorists in Syria?

© AP Photo / Ford Williams/U.S. NavyIn this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) launches a tomahawk land attack missile in the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, April 7, 2017.
In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) launches a tomahawk land attack missile in the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, April 7, 2017. - Sputnik International
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Commenting on US President Donald Trump's recent tweets about the possibility of a US strike on Syria by American "smart missiles," a Syrian parliamentarian speaking to Sputnik asks why Washington has not used its wonder weapons against terrorists in the country.

US President Donald Trump makes his expressive statements on the possibility of a missile strike on Syria because he cannot reconcile himself with the loss of his mercenaries in Eastern Ghouta, Ammar al-Assad, a member of the Syrian Parliament, told Sputnik Arabic, adding that the region was used by the US-led coalition to blackmail Damascus.

On April 11, Trump tweeted that Russia should "get ready" for "nice and new and smart" American missiles in Syria.

Earlier, on April 9, the US president signaled that he would make a decision about Washington's potential response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, within the next "24 to 48 hours."

"Trump highlighted that [the US] would send 'smart missiles' to Syria. But why, from the very outset of the Syrian crisis, were such missiles not used to attack terrorists? Instead, there have been repeated threats against the legitimate Syrian authorities. American strikes are beneficial only to terrorist groups that are fighting against the Syrian state," the Syrian parliamentarian pointed out.

Anti-war protesters shout slogans against US President Donald Trump during a demonstration in front of the Trump Tower in New York on April 7, 2017, to protest the US air strike in Syria - Sputnik International
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According to Assad, Syria is ready for any developments on the ground. If the US launches a strike, Syrian air defense systems will repel it. He pointed out that the country's air defenses have already proven effective, shooting down an Israeli F-16 fighter jet in February 2018 and intercepting Israeli missiles on April 9.

If the international community decides to send a group of specialists to Douma to find out the truth about the alleged use of chemical arms there, Damascus is ready to provide all necessary conditions and support, the politician said.

Assad stressed that there are many factors indicating that there was no chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta.

"The Red Crescent confirmed that there was no such attack, announcing that it had not received any reports of such an incident," the parliamentarian highlighted. "Similarly, Russian specialists who collected necessary samples from the alleged scene confirmed that they had not found traces of toxic agents."

President Donald Trump waves as he leaves South Lawn following a ceremony to honor the 2017 NCAA football national champion, the Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 10, 2018 - Sputnik International
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The Syrian MP pointed out that all chemical arms factories which had recently been exposed in Syria belonged to terrorists. "The poisonous substances were only in their hands," the politician noted.

The Syrian government has repeatedly refuted allegations of any involvement in alleged chemical attacks, referring to the fact that it destroyed all its chemical weapons stockpiles several years ago under the supervision of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

For its part, Moscow has warned the parties involved against intervention in Syria under false pretenses, stressing that these actions would be absolutely unacceptable and would prompt serious consequences.

The views and opinions expressed by the speaker do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

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