MOSCOW, April 11 (Itar-Tass) - RIA Novosti. The direction of the aircraft carrier strike group of the US Navy to the Mediterranean, the strengthening of the destroyer group there testifies to the build-up of forces in the region and the intention of the United States to deal a powerful blow to Syria, said former commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1998-2002), Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov.

What forces does the United States have?

According to the newspaper Pentagon Stars & Stripes, the shock group is nominated from the permanent bases in Virginia in the Mediterranean Sea. In its composition, in addition to the aircraft carrier "Harry Truman," includes the missile cruiser Normandy, missile destroyers Arly Burke, Balckley, Forest Sherman and Farragut. They will join the destroyers "Jason Dunham" and "Sullivans".

The Pentagon called the campaign in the Mediterranean a planned event in the rotation. According to the agency, the group "will operate in the zones of responsibility of the US Navy's 5th and 6th Fleets, carrying out operations to ensure maritime safety and security cooperation in the theater of action together with allies and partners."

The zone of responsibility of the 6th US Navy fleet includes, in particular, the Mediterranean region; The 5th Fleet - the Middle East, including the Persian Gulf. According to the newspaper The Wall Street Journal, the United States already has one missile destroyer Donald Cook with 60 cruise missiles Tomahawk (firing range - up to two thousand kilometers) in the eastern Mediterranean, from where he can participate in any attack on the Syria. The second American destroyer - Porter - can arrive in the area near Syria for several days.

In addition, according to open sources, the United States can use the Florida nuclear submarine in the Mediterranean, carrying more than 150 Tomahawks, and aviation based in the region.

The US is preparing an attack - what to do?

"The direction of the aircraft carrier strike group of the US Navy led by the aircraft carrier Harry Truman to the Mediterranean, the strengthening of the destroyer group there is not just a provocation, but evidence of a build-up of forces in the region and the serious intention of the United States to deal a powerful blow to Syria," said Komoedov RIA News on Wednesday.

President of the United States Donald Trump, in connection with the situation in Syria, canceled the previously planned trip, and "this is very serious," the agency's interlocutor said.

According to the admiral, in the event of a threat of the death of Russian servicemen, air defense assets in Syria (according to the earlier statement of the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Army Valery Gerasimov) should be used to shoot down attacking missiles and their carriers.

"The missiles to the Syrians, under unified control, must be shot down." As for their carriers, ships and planes, this is a complicated question. "Such a strike would mean a war," Komoedov believes.

Do not underestimate the enemy, especially if it's the US, the admiral said.

"The Americans have 11 nuclear aircraft carriers, 95 airplanes each, 60 of them, the depth of defense of the AUG is 1.5 thousand kilometers." The naval war requires a very serious outfit, we do not have such an outfit in the region. air, sea, in the second echelon they have - NATO, "the Russian admiral said.

"The Americans, of course, are the most important provocateurs - they do not want to hear our arguments, accept evidence of non-involvement in the use of chemical weapons, and they are ready to punish the uninvolved by inflicting a powerful blow," Komoyedov said.

In his opinion, "in this situation, it is necessary to declare combat readiness number one, first of all to Russian diplomats, so that they agree with our opponents."

What do politicians think

US President Donald Trump said last Monday that he would decide on the actions of the United States in connection with reports of a chemical attack in Syria in the next day or two. Answering the question whether he does not exclude military actions, President Trump said: "Nothing is out of the question."

In response to threats from the environment of the US President, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recalled Russia's obligations to Syria.

Earlier, a number of opposition Internet portals and Qatari television channel Al-Jazeera published messages with reference to militants about the use of chlorine by the Syrian army in the city of Dumas (suburb of Damascus East Guta), which allegedly killed dozens of civilians.

Russia denied the information about the bomb with chlorine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the goal of the throw-in on the use of poisonous substances by the troops of Syria is to shield the terrorists and justify possible power strikes from outside.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry found the allegations unconvincing. The Permanent Representative of this country to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, recalled that Damascus does not possess chemical weapons (it is exported under the control of the OPCW) and condemns its use.

Link: https://ria.ru/syria_chronicle/20180411/1518389043.html