Sputnik - Commenting on the recent claims of the White House that the US allegedly "observed potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime" and a subsequent CNN report on the deployment of the US warships targeting Syria's Shayrat airbase, Syrian politician Ammar al-Asad explained to Sputnik the real reason behind the claims.


On Monday, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer claimed that the United States allegedly "observed potential preparations for�another chemical weapons attack by�the Assad regime." And if President Assad went through�with it, he should expect the US to�retaliate.


"If, however, Mr. Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price," Spicer wrote in�his statement.

?Later on�Wednesday, Defense Secretary James Mattis claimed that "he believes Syria has backed down."

"It appears that they took the warning seriously," Mattis told reporters during�a trip to�Brussels for�a NATO meeting. "They didn't do it."

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to�the UN, also told Congress that "Trump's warning stopped the Assad regime."

Also on�Wednesday, CNN reported that "the US military has ships and aircraft in�place to�strike Syria if ordered to�do so by�President Donald Trump, but�so far it does not appear as�if the Syrian government has made any further moves toward�a chemical weapons attack."

"For now, Syria's Shayrat airbase remains under�constant overhead surveillance by�the US for�further signs of�whether a chemical strike may be in�the works," the broadcaster said.

It further reported on�the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, along�with two destroyers and two cruisers being deployed in�the eastern Mediterranean Sea for�routine patrol positions.

"The destroyers and cruisers could fire Tomahawk missiles without�putting pilots in�manned aircraft at�risk. In addition, dozens of�aircraft already in�the Middle East for�operations against�ISIS (Daesh) in�Syria and Iraq could be used in�a potential strike," the broadcaster said.
Commenting on�the above�reports, Syrian MP Ammar al-Asad, deputy head of�the Foreign Affairs Committee of�the Syrian parliament, the People's Council, told�Sputnik Arabic�that the new wave of�claims about�chemical weapons in�Syria is needed to�distract attention from�the "landslide victories of�the Syrian army in�the Syrian Desert on�the border with�Iraq and its effective cooperation with�the Iraqi People's Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as�the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), (Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi)."


The Syrian MP said that the Syrian and Iraqi forces are currently preparing a joint assault on�the positions of�Daesh militants at�Deir ez-Zor city in�eastern Syria. While the US, he said, has been supporting the militants and their ground operations since�the very start of�their war against�Syria.


Ammar al-Asad recalled that the US has already claimed responsibility on�President Assad for�the chemical incident in�Syria's Khan Sheikhoun in�April. Damascus rejected the accusations and said militants and their allies were responsible.

This week Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out�that almost three months later, Russia is still trying to�push for�an OPCW (Organization for�the Prohibition of�the Chemical Weapons) mission to�be sent to�Syria's Khan Sheikhoun.

"Until now the US and its allies have not sent an independent international commission to�Khan Sheikhoun for�investigation of�the incident. Back in�April, the Syrian government together with�Russia suggested sending the commission to�Syria's Shayrat airbase, where the aircraft allegedly took off�from to�bomb Khan Sheikhoun, for�investigation,"� Ammar al-Asad told Sputnik.
"The US is using all types of�lies and falsifications in�the Syrian crisis. At the same time, Israel is advancing in�the south, and Damascus has already made sharp statements to�Tel Aviv on�it. Israel is now escalating the situation in�the Golan Heights and Quneitra Governorate in�order to�seize these areas out�of the Syrian control," he said.


On Friday, Israel Defense Forces tweeted that the Israeli aviation attacked Syrian troops for�the fourth time in�a week, allegedly in�response to�a stray projectile that fell on�Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.
"Sometimes the US and Israel change roles. Tel Aviv is now supporting terrorists in�Quneitra Governorate, However they are losing there as�the Syrian army is returning control over�strategic positions in�these regions," Ammar al-Asad said.
The military who are fighting against�Syria need this war. Because they are trading weapons and are bound with�the arms corporations. And the US is acting in�the interests of�Israel, the Syrian MP concluded.