In 'Chilling' Escalation, Trump Warns Russia That Missiles 'Will Be Coming' at Syria

One critic argued the president's tweet shows "why those who have been demanding Trump be more belligerent are dangerous idiots."

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in the Oval Office at the White House, on April 10, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Responding to a Russian diplomat's warning that any American missiles fired at Syria would be "downed," President Donald Trump told Russia to "get ready" in a tweet Wednesday morning because missiles "will be coming"--a threat commentators characterized as an extraordinarily dangerous escalation of tensions between two nuclear powers.

Responding to Trump's tweet, The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald observed Wednesday that the president's threat provides a "nice, chilling reminder of how dangerous and volatile confrontation with Russia can be" and demonstrates "why those who have been demanding Trump be more belligerent are dangerous idiots."

Trump's warning that missiles "will be" headed toward Syria comes just days after the Assad government was accused of launching a chemical attack that killed more than 40 people.

As Common Dreams reported, Trump said on Monday that all options are "on the table" when it comes to a U.S. response to the alleged attack and vowed to make "major decisions" over the next couple of days.

While no such official decision has been announced, Trump's tweet on Wednesday indicates that the White House--which welcomed national security adviser and war "fanatic" John Bolton into the fold this week--is preparing to launch a military attack on Syria.

Ahead of the president's Wednesday morning tweet, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus warned that any attempt by Trump to take unilateral military action would be "unconstitutional" and urged him to pursue diplomatic solutions.

"Syria's civil war continues to be a complex regional conflict, and it has become increasingly clear that U.S. military interventions will likely add to the mass suffering in Syria," Reps. Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said in a joint statement on Tuesday. "The past two decades of U.S. military intervention in the Middle East--including President Trump's unauthorized airstrikes on Syria last year--only confirm the failure of this approach to advance humanitarian outcomes."

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