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posted by martyb on Friday April 07 2017, @02:40AM   Printer-friendly
from the things-that-go-fast-and-go-boom dept.

Following reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, President Trump authorized the launch of Tomahawk cruise missiles against a base in Syria. The Russian government was notified prior to the launch as they have resources in the area that was attacked.

According to NBC News:

The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was Syria's use of banned chemical weapons that killed at least 100 people, U.S. military officials told NBC News.

Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired 59 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target — Ash Sha'irat in Homs province in western Syria, the officials said. That's the airfield from which the United States believes the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the banned weapons.

There was no immediate word on casualties. U.S. officials told NBC News that people were not targeted and that aircraft and infrastructure at the site were hit, including the runway and gas fuel pumps.

Also at Al Jazeera:

The United States has launched 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles against Syrian government targets in retaliation for what the Trump administration charges was a Syrian government chemical weapons attack that killed scores of civilians, a US official says.

The targets hit from US ships in the Mediterranean Sea included the air base in the central city of Homs from which the Syrian aircraft staged Tuesday's chemical weapons attack, the US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

[...] He [Trump] called on "civilised nations" to join US in "seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria".

Syrian state TV said "American aggression targets Syrian military targets with a number of missiles".

The poison gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province on Tuesday killed at least 86 people, including 27 children, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Turkey said samples from victims of Tuesday's attack indicate they were exposed to sarin, a highly toxic nerve agent.

The New York Times adds:

The Pentagon informed Russian military officials, through its established deconfliction channel, of the strike before the launching of the missiles, the official said, with American officials knowing when they did that that Russian authorities may well have alerted the Assad regime. "With a lot of Tomahawks flying, we didn't want to hit any Russian planes," he said.

[...] It was Mr. Trump's first order to the military for the use of force — other operations in Syria, Yemen and Iraq had been carried out under authorization delegated to his commanders — and appeared intended to send a message to North Korea, Iran and other potential adversaries that the new commander in chief was prepared to act, and sometimes on short notice.

The airstrikes were carried out less than an hour after the president concluded a dinner with Xi Jinping, the president of China, at Mar-a-Lago, sending an unmistakably aggressive signal about Mr. Trump's willingness to use the military power at his disposal.

Mr. Trump authorized the strike with no congressional approval for the use of force, an assertion of presidential authority that contrasts sharply with the protracted deliberations over the use of force by his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.

[...] Mr. Trump moved with remarkable speed, delivering the punishing military strike barely 72 hours after the devastating chemical attack that killed 80 people this week.

Wikipedia notes: Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war .

 
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  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:45AM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:45AM (#490042)
    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +2  
       Funny=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:51AM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:51AM (#490052)

    J.K Rowling is my favorite author and will most assuredly take in refugees, at least to her main mansion estate. If she housed 2 refugees in each of her 18 spare bedrooms that would be 36 very well treated wayward souls.

    Please do this J.K! Show these alt-right nazi's that refugees don't steal or rape, they are misunderstood, and sometimes get confused of western culture. Please save them!!

    Paul Whaley, Greybull, WY

    Real or satire? Who knows anymore.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @06:26AM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @06:26AM (#490106)

      J.K Rowling has been politically active in favor of refugees, but she doesn't suffer the impact because she is isolated by her wealth. She's effectively saying "refugees for you, in your neighborhood, not anywhere near me". This is typical of wealthy liberals who have become detached from normal people's reality.

      So it's a real request, but knowing that she will certainly refuse. The bit about refugees being harmless is of course known to be false.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:03AM (#490123)

        I meant the comment I quoted in support of the petition. Could be real, could be satire.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:03PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:03PM (#490491)

        J.K Rowling has been politically active in favor of refugees, but she doesn't suffer the impact because she is isolated by her wealth. She's effectively saying "refugees for you, in your neighborhood, not anywhere near me". This is typical of wealthy liberals who have become detached from normal people's reality.

        While I do have a job that pays above median income, I don't consider myself at all wealthy. And, for a time, I was registered as Republican, although I left the party back when I moved to another state several years ago. (Actually, it's more like the party left me.) I would say that I am not all that detached from "normal people's reality". I can't speak for Rowling but I welcome refugees to move into my neighbourhood. In fact, several years back I was a volunteer for a charitable organization that was helping to acclimate recently arrived refugees to American life. I spent a lot of time with a recently arrived Iraqi family; got to know some of their other expat Iraqi friends. I am hoping to do the something similar again soon.

        The bit about refugees being harmless is of course known to be false.

        Says who? At least in America, refugee communities have below-average crime rates. In fact, my experience has been that it is more likely that the refugees are far more terrified of your typical American than the Americans are of them. Typically, they are afraid of not being able to communicate with the local population and not understanding the local culture and customs. My experience has been that refugees are extremely appreciative when an American takes the time to befriend them and teach them about the culture and language. Maybe you should try and be more friendly. Just sayin'.