US mission is Syria has not changed, forces to return, amid World War 3 fears

New Delhi : Amid reports that Vladimir Putin-led Russia is planning a major retaliation against the Unites States, triggering fears of World War 3, the White House has asserted that the US mission in Syria “has not changed”. According to news agency AFP, US forces would return from the war-torn country “as soon as possible”.

“The US mission has not changed. The President (Donald Trump) has been clear that he wants US forces to come home as quickly as possible,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said, hours after French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that Paris had convinced Trump to stay engaged in Syria “for the long-term”.

This comes after a combined military strike against Syrian chemical sites by US, France and UK, following claims of chemical gas being used by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government, evoked a sharp response from Russia.

Threatening to give a tough response to the US, Russia had called the military attack in Syria fabricated claiming that no evidence suggested the use of chemical weapons by Assad regime.

While the attack by US and other countries have triggered fears of World War 3, it might have also cast a shadow on North Korea de-nuclearisation talks.

Notably, Russian state television too cautioned citizens of the country to prepare for World War 3 after the US declared that it was “locked and loaded” to strike Syria again if President Bashar Assad’s regime continued using chemical weapons and poisonous gas in the war-torn country.

The statement issuing World War III warning appeared on Russian state media after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) rejected a resolution by Russia calling for condemnation of “aggression” by the United States, United Kingdom and France against Syria.

The US, UK and France had said that they launched air strikes against Syrian chemical sites after obtaining evidence that a chemical weapon was used by President Bashar Assad’s government.