Mattis: US 'Still Assessing' Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Wednesday that the U.S. and allied nations are "still assessing" whether Syria used chemical weapons in Douma last weekend.

When asked before a meeting with Dutch defense officials, Mattis declined to say if Syrian President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons in an attack that reportedly killed 49 civilians.

"We're still assessing the intelligence, ourselves and our allies. We're still working on this," Mattis said, according to Military Times. 

That same day, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said that "all the indications" are that chemical weapons were used by Bashar's forces.

In a tweet Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump warned:

Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and "smart!" You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018

Mattis did not elaborate on Trump's tweet, but said that the military is "ready to provide military options if they are appropriate as the president determined."

• UK's May Says Syria Chemical Weapons Can't Go Unchallenged
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