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U.S. NEWS Saturday 14 april 2018

Explosions rock Syrian capital as Trump announces strikes

Continued from Front chemical weapons. a year after the U.S. missile
Britain’s defense ministry strike that Trump said was
Syrian media reported that said that while the effec- meant to deter Assad from
air defenses had hit 13 in- tiveness of the strike is still further use of chemical
coming rockets south of being analyzed, “initial in- weapons.
Damascus. dications are that the pre- Since that did not work, a
After the attack ceased cision of the Storm Shadow more intense attack would
and the early morning skies weapons and meticulous aim to degrade his ability
went dark once more, ve- target planning have re- to carry out further such
hicles with loudspeakers sulted in a successful at- attacks, and would try to
roamed the streets of Da- tack.” do this by hitting Syrian air- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, joined by Joint Chiefs Chairman
mascus blaring nationalist British Prime Minister The- craft, military depots and Gen. Joseph Dunford, speaks at the Pentagon, Friday, April 13,
songs. resa May describes the at- chemical facilities, among 2018, on the U.S. military response, along with France and Britain,
“Good souls will not be hu- tack as neither “about in- other things.q in response to Syria’s chemical weapon attack on April 7.
miliated,” Syria’s presiden- tervening in a civil war” nor Associated Press
cy tweeted after airstrikes “about regime change”
began. but a limited and targeted
Syrian state TV called the strike that “does not further
attacks a “blatant violation escalate tensions in the re-
of international law and gion” and does everything
shows contempt for inter- possible to prevent civilian
national legitimacy.” casualties.
Trump announced Friday “We would have preferred
night that the three al- an alternative path. But
lies had launched military on this occasion there is
strikes to punish Syrian Presi- none,” May said.
dent Bashar Assad for the The decision to strike, af-
alleged chemical weap- ter days of deliberations,
ons use and to prevent him marked Trump’s second
from doing it again. order to attack Syria; he
The U.S. president said authorized a barrage of
Washington is prepared to Tomahawk cruise missiles
“sustain” pressure on Assad to hit a single Syrian airfield
until he ends what the in April 2017 in retaliation
president called a criminal for Assad’s use of sarin gas
pattern of killing his own against civilians.
people with internationally Trump chastised Syria’s two
banned chemical weap- main allies, Russia and Iran,
ons. for their roles in supporting
It was not immediate- “murderous dictators,” and
ly clear whether Trump noted that Russian Presi-
meant the military opera- dent Vladimir Putin had
tion would extend beyond guaranteed a 2013 inter-
an initial nighttime round of national agreement for
missile strikes. Assad to get rid of all of his
The Syrian government has chemical weapons.
repeatedly denied any use He called on Moscow to
of banned weapons. change course and join
U.S. Defense Secretary the West in seeking a more
James Mattis said there responsible regime in Da-
were no reports of U.S. mascus.
losses during the initial air- Russia’s U.S. embassy re-
strikes. leased a statement warn-
“Right now this is a one- ing that the airstrikes will
time shot,” he said but did “not be left without conse-
not rule out further attacks. quences.”
He said the airstrikes were It said that “all responsibil-
launched against several ity” rests with Washington,
sites that helped provide London and Paris.
Assad’s ability to create The allied operation comes