(Updated, Saturday, April 8, 2017)
United States Ambassador Nikki Haley warned the United Nations Security Council the day following President Trump ordered the Tomahawk missile strikes on a Syrian airbase thought to be the launching site of the chemical weapons, “The United States took a very measured step last night. We are prepared to do more, but we hope it will not be necessary.”
(Updated, Friday, 2:09 pm EST) Fox News is now reporting that a Russian warship entered the eastern Mediterranean hours ago and was heading toward the area where two United States Navy ships launched the Tomahawk missile strikes into Syria, Fox News has learned. Admiral Grigorovich RFS-494, a Russian frigate, crossed through the Bosphorus Strait from the Black Sea, according to a U.S. defense official.
(Updated, Friday, 2:00pm EST)
* Military officials are now reporting that the United States is now investigating if Russia was involved in the chemical weapons attack in Syria.
* A drone, belonging to Russia or Syria, was seen flying in the area of where the chemical weapons attack occurred last Tuesday. The Pentagon is actively investigating if Russia knew about the planned attack or was complicit in bombing the hospital several hours following the attack, which officials believe was an attempt to cover up evidence of the chemical weapons attack from earlier.
* Number of casualties from the US Tomahawk attack according to Syrian officials: at least 16 were killed on the Syrian air base. Another 9 people, all civilians, died when 3 missiles struck 2 towns near the air base.
United States President Donald Trump’s expeditious action to punish Syria for a suspected chemical substance weapons attack previously this week, by pummeling an integral air attack with missiles, was roundly praised by congressional leaders at home and world leaders throughout the world.
President Trump, who authorized the attack of more than fifty Tomahawk missiles from Navy warships (with an air base close by) at about 3:45 am local time in Syria, clearly changed his strategy on Syria had changed after Tuesday’s chemical substance attack that killed many of civilians.
Although Russia and Syrian state TV blasted the move as “aggression,” leaders throughout the world abundantly praised the attack and called it a measured and reasonable response to dictator Bashar al-Assad’s suspected use of chemicals in the city of Idlib on last Tuesday.
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu responded that “In both word and action” President Trump “sent a solid and clear message that the utilization and spread of dangerous chemical weapons will never be tolerated.”
Then the Australian Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull quoted, “This is was a calibrated, proportionate and targeted response.”
Many have called the strikes, “bold and decisive.” Clearly a new strategy from the previous presidential administration.
President Trump says that, “Military action is vital for our national security interest.”
Japan’s Minister Shinzo Abe indicated support for the U.S. strike last night stating that Japan understood and supports the strategy. Shinzo Abe added that the United States attacks were “a means to prevent further deterioration of the problem (with Syria).”
Turkey praised the airstrike, calling it an meaningful? and ?important development, but urged the world to consider an even a tougher position on Assad.”
?We see the airstrikes as positive, but we think that this should be completed,” Deputy Minister Numan Kurtulmus said. “The Assad regime’s barbarism must immediately be halted.”
Naturally, the attack was criticized by the Syrian government, as well as Iran and Russia, which back Damascus in the grinding, seven-year civil war that has ravaged the country.
The Kremlin was quoted as saying that the airstrike was an ?aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law.? The Soviet Leader, Vladimir Putin, believes that the United States authorized the hits under a ?far-fetched pretext.?
Russian deputy envoy to the United Nations, Vladimir Safronkov, said Russia warned the United States to “consider what military actions have led to in Iraq, Libya and other countries,” based on the Interfax news.
Iran condemned the airstrikes also. Iran International Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, quoted ?unilateral action is dangerous, destructive and violates principles of international legislation.”
