Posted on 04/06/2017 8:42:56 PM PDT by Pollard
WASHINGTON — U.S. warships launched dozens of cruise missiles against a Syrian government-controlled air base Thursday in a major retaliatory strike against Syrian president Bashar Assad for chemical attacks against scores of civilians earlier this week.
The missiles were launched by the Rota, Spain-based U.S. guided missile destroyers USS Ross and USS Porter from the Mediterranean Sea and were programmed to hit aircraft shelters, ammunition storage sites, radar sites, aircraft and fuel sites at Shayrat Air Base. That base is where Assad regime military aircraft that carried out the chemical strike launched from, President Donald Trump said in an address to the nation Thursday night.
“Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched,” he said. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.”
More than 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles struck the air base in a rural area about 25 miles south of Homs about 8:45 p.m. Eastern time.
A Navy official who asked not to be identified said the ships were in the best position to strike. "Our forward-deployed ships give us the ability to rapidly respond to contingencies. I believe the current situation in Syria is a great example of that -- this is why we're there."
Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters late Thursday that the U.S. military had conducted multiple phone calls with Russia over the "deconfliction" line to warn them in advance of the impending launch. Russia also operates from the base.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
As a candidate, Trump talked about working with Russia to destroy ISIS.
I see absolutely no justification for our actions against Syria. And I am not fully buying into that it was Syria that launched the chemical weapons attack. It just makes no sense.
Very interesting. Developing (short term)...Devolving (long term)...Dunno...
Very interesting. Gears are turning. We are here.
Mideast and America were better off before Iraq invasion. What we have unleashed cannot go back into the box. "Secular" nations under dictators is preferable to Islamic regimes. The next rulers of Syria will become another enemy of America and breeder and exporter of terror. I hope I am wrong but history shows America has a horrible track record in the region by many administrations.
Yup. We’re getting sucked into another disaster.
FWIW, I think that region would be fielding plenty of terrorists at us regardless of today’s bombing. 9/11 twin tower attacks were not retaliation. No “Why do they hate us...”.
Me too. It might end up another chapter in the ME fuster cluck.
I think Trump is going to go back in time and kill Hitler at his 30th birth party. I think it’s at an Applebees. Or whatever they called them in Wiemar Germany.
Christina Armanpour fairly lives in the Middle East, reporting forever from there, for CNN.
She reports Trump was in contact with Putin,before and during the attack, no evidence any embedded Russians would not have been pulled out of the target area, the proof it was Assad was observed by satellite including the flares visible from the point of origin launching the serin gas. She reviewed all the failures of Obama and assured this is a one time strike and that Russia is no match for the USA despite the bluster, that the Middle East has been asking for this help and Western powers now realize Trump shows strength and resolve. They will be unafraid now to engage as best they can.
Cristiana said the two most powerful powers in the world are together in Maralago tonight. China can get the measure of the man Trump, now, if he had questions before, as they discuss North Korea.
CNN reports only three Syrian soldiers were lost in the attack. I bet Trump warned Assad, as well, but not so early they could move planes. Haven’t heard actually that any planes were struck, however.
Thanks for the report RitaOK.
I hate to say this, but I do not trust Armanpour any longer. She may be right here. I just don’t know.
The things she says are good. I’d love to believe them. I just don’t know if I can.
This is CNN. It’s her. She has an axe to grind. So does CNN.
These people and entities over time have destroyed their ability to look me in the eye and tell me the truth, and me believe it.
So this whole thing was just for show?
So far Trump has known exactly what he’s doing. I really hate ISIS. I also hate attacking countries that haven’t done anything to us. But given that Trump has information we don’t have and he is the first pro-American(s) president since Reagan, I’m going to cut him some slack.
The attack was against serin gas delivery targets owned by Assad. No more air dropped serin.
It was proportional and answered the calls of allied Middle East nations for years, since 2012, for the US to do something.
Russia was harmed in no way, nor Iranian forces, nor Iraqi forces, nor anyone else.
This does not deter use of barrel bombs, in the future.
CNN reports now planes were hit, as well.
Well, the missiles were launched against the aircraft (at a certain airport) who had dropped the serin gas on the people. The plan was to stop Syria from launching any more attacks.
We did not attack any people; in fact Russia was warned to have their pilots leave the airport (because they were not part of the serin gas release).
1
given that Trump has information we don’t have and he is the first pro-American(s) president since Reagan, I’m going to cut him some slack.
In other words, you want repeat the history of the cheerleaders for Bush’s Iraq war.
That might be entertaining, but not a realistic game, as there is much less chance that Assad was about to imminently attack the United States in the last few hours.
This is not what I voted for, and I sure as hell won’t be voting for it again. We’re done here.
Based on this he is a pro ISIS president.
You do realize that there are hundreds and hundreds of US Military in Syria and they have been there for at least two years?
It’s too early to guess Trump’s intentions and methods. I’ll wait to see what he can do.
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