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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: 4, Insightful) by Gaaark on Friday April 07 2017, @11:47AM (8 children)

    by Gaaark (41) on Friday April 07 2017, @11:47AM (#490164) Journal

    http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/hillary-clinton-syria-assad/index.html [cnn.com]

    (CNN)Hillary Clinton called on the United States to take out Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's Air Force on Thursday, days after a chemical attack killed more than 70 people in the war-torn country.

    Day before Trump launched his attack. So who would have started WW3 first?

    All this shitting on Trump, and guess who's just as big a warmonger!?!
    Give it a rest!!! She lost, Sanders probably would have won if they'd been smart enough to go that way, but they weren't, and Trump WON!

    Pull up your panties and wipe off the facial and GET OVER IT!!!

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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 07 2017, @05:06PM (3 children)

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:06PM (#490352) Journal

    All this shitting on Trump, and guess who's just as big a warmonger!?!

    Guess who's actually the president. Guess who actually authorized the strike. Hint: NOT CLINTON

    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday April 07 2017, @05:26PM (2 children)

      by Gaaark (41) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:26PM (#490362) Journal

      YES! Because SHE LOST!

      But don't be a hypocrite: she would have authorized it as well.
      Again!:
      http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/hillary-clinton-syria-assad/index.html [cnn.com]

      Just because she lost the election doesn't mean she's not a warmonger: she just can't do anything about it but sit there and watch as Trump Presidents and Bill spurts on to other womens dresses.

      --
      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:56PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:56PM (#490519)

        But don't be a hypocrite: she would have authorized it as well.

        Well, yes, of course she would.

        I believe that the point is, people were saying they can't vote for Hillary because she's a warmonger.
        They also couldn't vote for Hillary because she's corrupt.
        They also couldn't vote for Hillary because she's constantly lying.
        They also couldn't vote for Hillary because she would only use the presidency for personal gain.
        They also couldn't vote for Hillary because her husband is a sex predator.

        So they voted for Trump, because he's not like that.

        Heh.

        So now the President is a corrupt, lying sex predator who uses presidency for personal gain, and with this was also shown to be a warmonger.

        Good thing we avoided Hillary! Whew, bullet dodged.

        • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:13AM

          by Gaaark (41) on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:13AM (#490622) Journal

          Let's get to the meat of it:

          Trump should not have won: Sanders should have, but Hillary-wasserman-shitz stole that from him (and they complain that Trump stole the election: someone speaks with forked tongue).

          Trump, though, is a lame duck president (i have always said this). He has no support and is disorganized and will not make a second term.
          Hillary is a through and through political person with backing and connections. She could have done REAL damage to America.

          Sanders should have been given the leadership after getting ripped off so badly by corrupt individuals. His party was too corrupt and stupid to give it to him.

          Sanders should have won.
          Sanders should have won.
          Sanders should have won.
          Sanders should have won.
          Sanders should have won.
          Sanders should have won.
          I have always said this, as well.

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          --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 07 2017, @05:45PM (3 children)

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:45PM (#490380) Journal

    So Trump LIED about Syria and Clinton told the truth. Glad you could set the record straight on that one!

    • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Friday April 07 2017, @05:47PM (2 children)

      by Gaaark (41) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:47PM (#490384) Journal

      WTF you talking about?

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      --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
      • (Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 07 2017, @05:59PM (1 child)

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:59PM (#490397) Journal

        WTF you talking about?

        I'm talking about the eighteen times Trump said the US shouldn't bomb Syria. [time.com]

        • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:01AM

          by Gaaark (41) on Saturday April 08 2017, @12:01AM (#490617) Journal

          Sooo... you've pointed out that he's an idiot... congratulations! You win the Captain Obvious award!! ( I never said he wasn't an idiot)
          But now that he is more informed, maybe he thought it was the appropriate measure?

          What i was saying is that everyone is saying he is an idiot (yes... he is!, and i have never said he isn't!!), and that he is ADHD and that he shouldn't be president.
          And everyone is right!
          But Hillary was saying bomb the hell out of them DAY/DAYS BEFORE he did it (who's ADHD now). She said "we should bomb them"... and if she'd been president, she probably would have said "we are going to bomb them" BEFORE bombing them, which is what Trump was complaining about.
          He's also right: America shouldn't have been over there in the first place.

          If he is ADHD and an idiot and shouldn't be president, neither should Hillary. SANDERS should have been president, but Hillary STOLE that from him: yeah, she'd make a good president... right....

          1: Donald J. Trump

          @realDonaldTrump

          Why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria. Why can't we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?

          Is he right? yes he is!

          2. Donald J. Trump

          @realDonaldTrump

          @walaa_3ssaf No, dopey, I would not go into Syria, but if I did it would be by surprise and not blurted all over the media like fools.

          Yes... don't announce it, just do it: standard military tactic

          3. Donald J. Trump

          @realDonaldTrump

          If we are going to continue to be stupid and go into Syria (watch Russia), as they say in the movies, SHOOT FIRST AND TALK LATER!

          Again... yes

          4. Donald J. Trump

          @realDonaldTrump

          Let the Arab League take care of Syria. Why are these rich Arab countries not paying us for the tremendous cost of such an attack?

          And he is SOOOO right! Why are you fighting their fight? Because America started that whole shit heap that is happening over there! If they (which includes Hillary) had stayed out of that region in the first place, none of this would be happening!!!

          TRUMP IS AN IDIOT, BUT AN IDIOT WITHOUT SUPPORT.
          HILLARY IS AN IDIOT, BUT AN IDIOT WITH SUPPORT.

          I'd rather have a castrated idiot in charge than an idiot with real power.

          God bless America: you are going to need it.
          DISCLAIMER: I do not believe in God/Gods... you are sooooo screwed.

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          --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---