« Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the air field in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched, […] It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. » Trump said during short remarks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, where he ordered the strike just hours earlier.
« There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically. », he added.
According to US Officials, US warships launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on the Syrian government airbase where were based the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks. For the president Trump, the strike was made in the « vital interest of the security » of the United States. During his speech, the US President asked the world to join the United States in their fight against terrorism.
Damascus speaks of an aggression. According to preliminary reports, the missiles launched from the US struck the Shayrat air base in central Syria, the alleged launching place of the chemical attack that triggered the American response. The strike was at 08:45 PM (Washington time), the early morning in Syria. The missiles aimed and struck the slopes, equipment, and supply areas.
The Pentagon has stated that the attack on Syria was conducted using 59 Tomahawk missiles launched from the destroyer USS Porter and the USS Ross in the eastern Mediterranean. The Pentagon also defines the launch of American missiles in Syria as a « proportionate response » to the chemical attack, and claimed that the attack against the US air base in Syria has « reduced the ability of the Syrian government of using chemical weapons.«
The strike is the first direct military action the US has taken against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country’s six-year civil war. It represents a substantial escalation of the US military campaign in the region, which could be interpreted by the Syrian government as an act of war.
Maria Elena Argano
For further information:
CNN Site: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/05/middleeast/syria-airstrike-idlib-how-it-unfolded/index.html
