Jim Garamone at the DoD News
offers the below piece:
WASHINGTON, April 14, 2018 —
The Syrian regime killed at least 45 people and sickened hundreds of others in
a chemical weapons attack on Douma, Syria, April 7, and on April 13, U.S.,
British and French service members launched attacks that severely degraded the
Syrian chemical arsenal and sent a message to Syrian leader Bashir Assad to
stop using chemical weapons against his own people.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson
Dana W. White and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, the Joint Staff
director, briefed the press today from the Pentagon on the operation saying it
was successful and that there were no allied casualties.
White said the attack on
innocent civilians in Douma “demanded a response,” and the allies targeted the
Syrian regime’s chemical weapons infrastructure. “We launched these strikes to
limit Syria’s ability to use chemical weapons in the future,” she said.
Operation Carefully Planned
The operation was carefully
orchestrated and methodically planned to lessen chances of civilian casualties,
the spokesperson said. The missiles hit targets during the Syrian pre-dawn
hours, and planners, weaponeers and aircrew were careful to ensure little
collateral damage. “We successfully hit every target,” White said.
Missiles hit three distinct
military chemical weapons targets. “The three facilities are – or more
appropriately, were – the fundamental components of the regime’s chemical
weapons warfare infrastructure,” McKenzie said.
One target, the Barzah
center, housed the regime’s research, development and production center for
chemical and biological weapons. Photos taken after the strike show that where
once three buildings stood, there is now nothing but rubble.
Strikes also hit a chemical
weapons storage facility and a chemical bunker facility. “We selected these
targets carefully to minimize the risk to innocent civilians,” the general
said.
“We are still conducting a
more detailed damage assessment, but initial indications are that we
accomplished our military objectives without material interference. I would use
three words to describe the operation: Precise, overwhelming and effective,” he
said.
Allies Fired 105 Weapons
The allies fired 105 weapons
at these targets. The missiles came from British, French and American platforms
in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean, McKenzie said.
“All weapons hit their
targets close to the designated time on target,” he said. The American ships
were: the USS Monterrey, the USS Laboon, the USS Higgins and the submarine USS
John Warner. Two B-1 Lancer bombers launched joint air-to-surface stand-off
missiles. Support aircraft – tankers, fighters, electronic warfare aircraft and
more – also participated.
“None of our aircraft or
missiles involved in this operation were successfully engaged by Syrian air
defenses,” McKenzie said. “We have no indication that Russian air defenses were
employed.”
Syrian response was
ineffectual as the Syrians launched surface-to-air missiles on a ballistic
trajectory. “Most of the launches occurred after our strike was over,” the
general said. “When you shoot iron into the air without guidance, it has to
come down somewhere.”
Since the strike, U.S.
officials have not seen any military response from actors within Syria. “We
remain postured to protect our forces and those of the coalition should
anything occur,” the general said.
