Donald Trump, the President of the United States, denied on Wednesday, September 4, a claim made in Bob Woodward's book regarding discussions about the assassination of Bashar al-Assad. According to Reuters, during a meeting with the Emir of Kuwait in Washington, Trump stated that there has never been any discussion regarding the 'assassination' of Bashar al-Assad. The American newspaper Washington Post published excerpts from Woodward's upcoming book 'Fear: Donald Trump in the White House,' which claims that Trump had requested the assassination of Assad last year, but Defense Secretary James Mattis ignored the request. In response to reporters' questions about the claim, Trump said, 'That has never happened. This is complete storytelling.' Trump added, 'No, there has never been any attention to such an idea, nor has it ever been discussed, and such a topic should not have been written in this book.' Woodward wrote in his book that in April 2017, following a chemical attack in Syria, Trump told Mattis that the U.S. should kill Assad. The book also claims that while Mattis initially supported Trump's request, he later called for measured actions regarding Syria. Meanwhile, Mattis issued a statement on Tuesday rejecting the claims made in Woodward's book, stating that such discussions never took place. However, amid the discussions surrounding Woodward's claims, international concern has increased regarding the Assad government's attack on Idlib province, the last area under opposition control, and the potential for a humanitarian disaster in this region of northern Syria. According to Reuters, approximately three million civilians currently live in Idlib province. In this context, Trump warned on Wednesday that any massacre in Idlib would provoke U.S. anger. Last year, Trump ordered military strikes against Syrian government positions in response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The Syrian civil war has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions.
Trump Denies Claim of Request to Assassinate Bashar al-Assad
Donald Trump denied claims from Bob Woodward's upcoming book that he requested the assassination of Bashar al-Assad, stating such discussions never occurred. This denial comes amid rising international concerns over potential humanitarian crises in Syria, particularly in Idlib province, where millions of civilians reside.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Donald Trump denied claims from Bob Woodward's book that he requested the assassination of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This denial comes amid rising concerns about a potential humanitarian crisis in Idlib province, Syria.
- Trump stated that discussions about assassinating Assad never occurred.
- International concern is growing over the situation in Idlib, where millions of civilians are at risk.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Syrian civil war has been ongoing since 2011, leading to significant loss of life and displacement. The U.S. has been involved in various military actions against the Assad regime, particularly in response to chemical weapon use.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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