You knew it was coming. Trump's first war. It ended up being Syria.
I guess we're about to find out if absolute unpredictability is just the antidote the Middle East needs.
— Joshua Hersh (@joshuahersh) April 7, 2017
U.S President Donald Trump said on Thursday night U.S. time he ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airfield from which Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical weapons attack earlier this week that killed more than 80 civilians.
Trump says the air strikes on the military target in the northern part of Syria were in America's "national security interest." It is not clear how.
Putin spox says US attacks on #Syria are "aggression," a violation of international law "under an invented pretext." https://t.co/rjTxvWIT31
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) April 7, 2017
The Pentagon says 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired at Al Shayrat airfield in Syria.
"The missiles were aimed at Syrian fighter jets, hardened aircraft shelters, radars, ammunition bunkers, sites for storing fuel and air defense systems," reports the New York Times.
The cruise missiles struck the airfield beginning around 8:40 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, and the strikes continued for three to four minutes.
According to Captain Davis, the missiles were fired from the destroyers Porter and Ross in the eastern Mediterranean.
The military escalation was done in the name of Syria's children, but those same innocents are barred from seeking refuge in the United States by Trump's Executive Order limiting travel from predominantly Muslim nations he doesn't happen to be doing business with right now.
"Oil prices surged more than 2 percent to a one-month high on Friday after the United States launched dozens of cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria, later dropping back as there seemed no immediate threat to supplies."
Don't worry. It'll be great. #syria
(via @LiquidDemonsCC) pic.twitter.com/C040KANksW— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) April 7, 2017
#BREAKING: #IDF says they were told in advance of #US strikes on #Syria & "express support for decision". #KhanShaykhoun
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) April 7, 2017
Here is a video and transcript of President Trump's remarks on the airstrikes in Syria https://t.co/oeoseusBNl pic.twitter.com/icpzJTfJLs
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) April 7, 2017
Oil prices spiked after the US launched a military strike on a Syria https://t.co/9vxkdYKWcg pic.twitter.com/sG8pN6yLxn
— CNN International (@cnni) April 7, 2017
NSC staffers were also kept out of the loop until after it had happened, per sources. https://t.co/dsUygBjyyH
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) April 7, 2017
Russian news reporting that US officials agreed to not strike parts of Shayrat base where Russians were present https://t.co/uhoNU9fBaE
— Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer) April 7, 2017
UPDATE: Syrian observatory says airbase hit by U.S. strike is 'almost completely destroyed'
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 7, 2017
A couple observations: Huge, international drama played out against backdrop of club members eating, drinking — no idea what was going on.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) April 7, 2017
Adam Schiff: 'In terms of U.S. law … None of what we're doing in Syria is authorized' pic.twitter.com/TyCiRQWvhP
— CitizenSlant (@CitizenSlant) April 7, 2017
Whatever it is, it exceeds all prior precedents under domestic and international law. https://t.co/qExal4wRm6
— Jack Goldsmith (@jacklgoldsmith) April 7, 2017
Mapping the targets of the American military attack on Syria https://t.co/RGWuma4l9K
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 7, 2017
What we know and don't know about the Syria airstrikeshttps://t.co/jeP7e5DZhU
— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 7, 2017
Remember Devin Nunes? And the Senate going nuclear? And the Chinese summit?? That was today too.
— Greg Krieg (@GregJKrieg) April 7, 2017
Rex Tillerson has harsh words for Russia on Syria: "Either Russia has been complicit or
… simply incompetent." https://t.co/Jtixf6tQ6u pic.twitter.com/kh5vHFSaGX— ABC News (@ABC) April 7, 2017
MORE: At least four Syrian soldiers killed at airbase attacked by U.S: Syrian Observatory
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) April 7, 2017
Here it comeshttps://t.co/d6pbRYnC2g
— Eli Valley (@elivalley) April 7, 2017
"Just 3 days ago, the president saying this is not our fight." But "as soon as he saw those images…" https://t.co/krjYdHzhST pic.twitter.com/2gMtTDlHJt
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 7, 2017
MORE: At least four Syrian soldiers killed at airbase attacked by U.S: Syrian Observatory
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 7, 2017
Anatomy of a Tomahawk missile: Explaining the weapons the US used to strike Syria.https://t.co/lkrWioVEti pic.twitter.com/OhD79JKjdf
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 7, 2017
Trump on Syrian children:
"I don't think they should be coming into the United States."https://t.co/UwotbfQAMl via @HuffPostPol
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) April 7, 2017
Trump on Syrian children:
"I don't think they should be coming into the United States."https://t.co/UwotbfQAMl via @HuffPostPol
— Adam Jentleson (@AJentleson) April 7, 2017
Pentagon says Russians were given a "heads up" before Syria attack…so any chemical weapons were likely whisked away https://t.co/I72RCgthYF
— Adam Khan (@Khanoisseur) April 7, 2017
Folks he's made the pivot https://t.co/KoCQWiRbUH
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) April 7, 2017
Trump's Most Diehard Media Defenders Turn On Him After Strikes On Syria https://t.co/JKRzjkQnGb
— Liam Stack (@liamstack) April 7, 2017
Don't worry. It'll be great. #syria
(via @LiquidDemonsCC) pic.twitter.com/C040KANksW— Boing Boing (@BoingBoing) April 7, 2017