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 ...
“I get the feeling President Trump is about to clean up Syria so that all the rapeugees can go home. What a service to the world that would be.”
They are not going back to Syria.
Did you just wake up?
Now there’s a thought. MAGA. :)
Maybe they are going back to Syria.
that’s the most pathetic statement of the day.
He is going to defeat Syria and Russia and put in place a secular power and all will be glorious.
So many are high here tonight.
Islam instructs them to stay and to conquer the lands where they go.
Two days after we said we wouldn’t get involved in Syria Assad does something that makes sure we get involved in Syria, and Trump believes that??
No one is gong back to Syria.
Refugees hardly ever go back home.
The problem with that theory - Hammering Assad not only goads Russia (Assad’s biggest ally), but it empowers ISIS - the strongest force in Syria. A Syria without Assad means a Syria WITH the wort kind of Islamic radicals in charge... and they too apparently have chemical weapons (or so it would appear from the history of this civil war).
Any dictator who uses WMDs on their own people is a monster (Saddam was too) - but at what point are we only shuffling the cards, but not actually “fixing” anything.
“We’ve made it safe for you to return to your home.”
This will have a very powerful effect.
Are you not aware of the strength and universality of the human drive to go back home?
(with video of missiles launching)
CBS is running a continuous loop of missile launches.
Proves nothing.
“Are you not aware of the strength and universality of the human drive to go back home?”
There is nothing for them to return to.
This whole issue is too big for me to understand. I really have no comment. I hope we don’t get bogged down in the Syrian cesspool. The whole place is a curse.
they’re not high, just stupid.
Maybe there will be a lot for them to return to, not long from now.
But don’t tell the leftists or the neverTrumpers. They don’t want Trump to succeed with anything.
I get the feeling that this is going to lead to disaster.
No, Timpanagos1 is correct.
Look at the Irish. De Valera was amazed how few returned to Ireland once the Free State was established in the 1920s. This was despite a very strong cultural attachment. But they preferred to sit in places like Boston and Sydney, talking about life in Dublin - but not actually living there.
All this over emails leaked to Russians by a DNC staffer and a removal of Susan Rice from the lead stories in the media. Trump sure took the Intel bait.
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