Friday, April 13, 2018

U.S., Allies Launch Missile Attack On Syria In Retaliation For Using Chemical Weapons On Civilians


Dave Boyer and Dan Boylan at the Washington Times offers a piece on the American and allies’ attack on Syria.

The U.S. launched missile strikes on Syria Friday night in coordination with Britain and France in retaliation for Syria’s chemical-weapons attack on civilians last weekend.

President Trump announced the attack in a live televised statement from the White House, saying he had ordered “precision strikes.”

“A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway,” Mr. Trump said.

The strikes came around 9 p.m. in Washington, 4 a.m. Saturday in Damascus, and targeted three Syrian military installations involved with the use of chemical weapons.

It was the second strike ordered by Mr. Trump in the past year against the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad to deter his regime’s use of chemical weapons.

Mr. Trump said the military strikes are a response to Syria’s “significant escalation in a pattern of chemical-weapons use” culminating in last weekend’s atrocity in Douma, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus, that killed dozens of civilians. He suggested the allied military action is open-ended.

 “The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong determent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons,” the president said. “Establishing a deterrent is a vital national security interest of the United States. We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at 10 p.m. that the first wave of attacks had ended, and no further strikes were contemplated for the moment.

“Right now this is a one-time shot,” Mr. Mattis said. “Right now, we have no additional attacks planned.”

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

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