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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: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:31AM (30 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:31AM (#490027)

    In case anyone was wondering why minorities and women vote Democrat, THIS IS WHY.
    We are absolutely terrified of war-mongering white men running the world.
    Yes, Assad gassed his own people repeatedly.
    But starting World War 3 is NOT THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:36AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:36AM (#490035)

    Yes, why won't they vote against bigger welfare?
    I like how women despite being 50% of humanity is in the same category as minorities.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:46AM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @03:46AM (#490044)

    Yeah, all this hostility to a major nuclear power is going to cause World War III... oh wait, that was the Democrats screaming about Russia.

    Before screaming about Russia, there was that little ceremony where Hillary offered the Russian ambassador a silly little plastic "reset button". Back then the democratic line was that Russians would be our friends. They made fun of Palin for warning of the Russian hazard, saying that she was stuck in the cold war. I guess that went out the window with Crimea, which must have embarrassed Hillary, so now democrats are hostile to Russia.

    At least the Republicans are consistent: be careful of Russia, don't trust them, don't provoke them, try to find common ground where you can.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by butthurt on Friday April 07 2017, @05:45AM (5 children)

      by butthurt (6141) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:45AM (#490098) Journal

      This attack on their ally, Syria, would seem to have a likelihood of provoking the Russians.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Friday April 07 2017, @05:04PM (4 children)

        by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:04PM (#490351) Journal

        This attack on their ally, Syria, would seem to have a likelihood of provoking the Russians.

        Already happening!

        US air strikes in Syria latest: Russia suspends agreement that prevents direct conflict with American forces [independent.co.uk]

        Russia says US air strikes in Syria came 'within an inch' of military clash with their forces

        • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday April 07 2017, @06:25PM (2 children)

          by butthurt (6141) on Friday April 07 2017, @06:25PM (#490415) Journal

          From that second story:

          Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the strike deliberately avoided sections of the base where the Russians were believed to be present.

          -- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/russia-us-air-strikes-syria-russia-within-inch-military-clash-war-dmitry-medvedev-prime-minister-a7672791.html [independent.co.uk]

          If that's true, then the Anonymous Coward poster above was correct: an effort was made to avoid provoking the Russians.

          Those people investigating whether Mr. Trump and his associates collaborated with the Russians should be regretful. For all our sakes, I hope they call off that investigation.

          /politics/article.pl?sid=17/03/31/0316213 [soylentnews.org]

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:41PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:41PM (#490476)

            Those people investigating whether Mr. Trump and his associates collaborated with the Russians should be regretful. For all our sakes, I hope they call off that investigation.

            That is some battered-wife syndrome shit right there.
            If russia attacked the US election process we should just pretend it didn't happen so that we won't get into a fight with russia.
            News flash, dumbass, if the allegations are true that was an act of war. Literally.

            • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Saturday April 08 2017, @01:35AM

              by butthurt (6141) on Saturday April 08 2017, @01:35AM (#490645) Journal

              > [...] if the allegations are true that was an act of war.

              The United States tried, with apparent success, to manipulate an election in Russia:

              Urged by the United States, the International Monetary Fund granted a $10.2 billion loan to Russia in February [1996] and enabled the government to spend huge sums paying long-owed back wages and pensions to millions of Russians, with some overdue checks arriving shortly before the June election.

              -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_presidential_election,_1996#Campaign [wikipedia.org]

              This investigation could embarrass Mr. Trump. Is he trying to show us that he isn't under Russia's thumb?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:45PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:45PM (#490479)

          Russia says US air strikes in Syria came 'within an inch' of military clash with their forces

          Yes!

          I was so worried when Hillary lost. I thought that World War 3 might not happen without her.

          I hope there are nukes!

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @04:09AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @04:09AM (#490063)

    The Russian government was notified prior to the launch as they have resources in the area that was attacked.

  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday April 07 2017, @10:55AM (3 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 07 2017, @10:55AM (#490155) Journal

    But starting World War 3 is NOT THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.

    It may be a WW3, but this won't start it... yet.

    What make me say that, you ask? Because the president of the soon to be first world power, Xi Jinping, was in US while this happened.
    Do you think for a second he would be still in US if he would be disapproving USA's actions in Syria? I'd bet Agent Orange even asked Xi before ordering the attack.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @11:55AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @11:55AM (#490165)

      If you haven't noticed, we already have been in WW3, only not against Russia. There is another global force, one which is not a regular nation state.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:19PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:19PM (#490499)

        White mediocrity?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 10 2017, @07:35AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 10 2017, @07:35AM (#491531)

          Drugs.

  • (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!!!

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

            --
            --- 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?

        --
        --- 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.

            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday April 07 2017, @01:13PM (3 children)

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday April 07 2017, @01:13PM (#490193) Journal

    We are absolutely terrified of war-mongering white men running the world.

    Perhaps you'd like to take your chances with rule by Rwandans, or pine for the could-have-been utopia of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Or, perhaps you optimistically hope to replicate the dramatic uptick in fortunes that occurred in Zimbabwe after Mugabe's Zanu PF seized power? Or maybe you're talking about something with a little more salsa in it and want to see what South American death squads can do. No? How about race/religious riots that kill people by the thousands like they have in India?

    Look, white men have a mixed record. They should be and are held accountable for their failings. They have also done good things, and having non-white men and women perennially completely elide those is tedious and itself racist. My Korean wife, herself an immigrant, was bemoaning all the evil white people last week after Trump did something. I pointed out that without the evil white people there wouldn't even be Korean people such as herself, because the Japanese colonial power was literally erasing the Korean language and culture when US marines bled their way across the South Pacific to free them, and then a second time when the evil white people literally saved her parents' lives by bleeding out their life's blood on the sands of Inchon.

    It's also worth pointing out to all the people working themselves into an apoplectic fit over Trump's stance on immigration that we wouldn't even be having this conversation in Japan or China. There is no Statue of Liberty off the coast of Shanghai or in Tokyo harbor.

    The Japanese are so xenophobic in fact that before they had the ethnic Koreans (imported as slave labor during the colonial period) to beat on and disenfranchise they had to invent a class of people to beat up on called the burakumin, literally leatherworkers and those unclean who interacted with animals in Buddhist feudal Japan.

    So, in short, take a breath and pull yourself together. Stop watching CNN, and stop thinking in sound bites.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:44PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @07:44PM (#490478)

      Ah, your racism apologia is starting to make sense now.
      I've been getting those vibes off your posts for a while now, just didn't really click until now.
      You are that uber-white bernie bro type who really doesn't care all that much about racial justice, too hung up on pretending racism isn't really a big problem anymore.

    • (Score: 2) by chromas on Friday April 07 2017, @11:54PM (1 child)

      by chromas (34) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 07 2017, @11:54PM (#490613) Journal

      What was your wife's response?

      • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday April 08 2017, @01:09AM

        by Phoenix666 (552) on Saturday April 08 2017, @01:09AM (#490640) Journal

        She realized she had overstepped and fell silent. It's a bit understandable because working in nonprofit in NYC all day long she hears people bashing white men all day long. And that's on top of her having grown up in a city where racism and tribalism are second nature. She and her brother forget themselves occasionally and disparage white people until i make some tongue in cheek remark like how they can't see their own racism for what it is because they have such little eyes. Then they laugh and apologize.

        --
        Washington DC delenda est.
  • (Score: 2) by Lagg on Friday April 07 2017, @05:25PM (3 children)

    by Lagg (105) on Friday April 07 2017, @05:25PM (#490361) Homepage Journal

    You're such a horrible piece of shit that I don't want to read the replies because people here are good at breaking down horrible pieces of shit and it's going to make me cringe.

    Reason I say piece of shit is - you are what resulted in Trump. Troll account or not, I hope no one forgets that. This bullshit here, you were the ones that elected Trump more than rural people or electoral college.

    Next election. Make sure to vote democrat. Always vote democrat. Because teh evil white men. You party line country ruining fuck. Just ignore the global corruption and always vote democrat. That'll fix it! If you just changed your flag color you'd fit in fine with the "BUT WHAT ABOUT OBAMA" and "MELANIA 2026" people.

    Whatever dumbass rated this insightful might as well rate this post insightful while they're at it. And then go find a world as boring and black & white as the one you and parent seem to want to exist. Because you are sure as hell not needed in this one.

    --
    http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:38PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 07 2017, @08:38PM (#490509)

      Ah, the old "I'm so tired of being called a racist that I voted for the only candidate in recent history to be unapologetically racist" chestnut.
      It never gets old.

      • (Score: 2) by Lagg on Friday April 07 2017, @09:33PM (1 child)

        by Lagg (105) on Friday April 07 2017, @09:33PM (#490535) Homepage Journal

        Proving my point again about both of you being two halves of the same kind of bigoted retard willfully discarding critical thought and casting the same accusation on the other group. But no. I don't vote for aspiring dictators. Which includes Trump and Clinton as comforting as it is for people to pretend otherwise.

        and honestly. Assuming people have called me racist? Oh yeah that happens all the time. Completely tired of it. It's like the second most common accusation I get next to being a shill for the pharmaceutical industry.

        No but seriously you're a dumbass.

        --
        http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿
        • (Score: 2) by Lagg on Friday April 07 2017, @09:41PM

          by Lagg (105) on Friday April 07 2017, @09:41PM (#490541) Homepage Journal

          Man I feel less guilty and betraying of my country for not voting now. Thanks AC. I needed that after these recent months. :D

          --
          http://lagg.me [lagg.me] 🗿