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Toronto – At approximately 8:45 p.m., the United States military carried out a classic sea-based cruise missile launch against the Al-Shayrat Airbase in western Syria.
Between 50 and 60 Tomahawk missiles were launched from two US naval destroyers anchored in the east Mediterranean. The move was a clear retaliation for the chemical attack carried out by the Syrian government against rebel forces in Idlib on Tuesday morning. 84 people were killed, including 27 children. 546 people were injured and many remain in serious condition.
In a short address, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had ordered “a targeted military strike” on an airbase in Syria. The base of which he spoke is thought to be the Al-Shayrat Airbase in western Syria. This is the base from which, it is believed, that that chemical attack was launched by Assad forces. The targeted strikes hit the airbase runway, aircraft and fuel points.
Trump described the attack in visceral language, saying that “Assad choked out the helpless men, women and children.” He added that it was a “slow and brutal death for so many.” Calling it “barbaric,” Trump said that no “child of God” should ever perish in such a way.
According to Trump, it is part of America’s mandate as a leader in the “free” world, to prevent and deter the use of banned chemical weapons by despots. He spoke of the previous attempts that had been made since the onset of the Syrian civil war, to change Assad’s behaviour and how they had all failed utterly.
Trump concluded his remarks with a call to all “civilized nations” to bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria and to bring a final and fitting end to terrorism.
Speculation now begins in anticipation of the world’s reaction to the strike. According to the same source, the Trump administration reached out to a “broad list of nations” in advance of the strike. Russia was not included in that list at it remains to be seen what their reaction will be.
