UPDATE 1945 GMT: The Pentagon has given a a breakdown of the missile strikes.
*37 Tomahawk missiles from warships in the Red Sea
*23 Tomahawk missiles from a warship in the North Arabian Gulf
*6 Tomahawk missiles from a submarine in the eastern Mediterranean
*19 missiles from 2 B-1 bombers
France fired 12 missiles from a frigate and warplanes. Britain fired eight missiles from warplanes.
See also Podcast: What Now After US-UK-France Airstrikes v. Assad?
Podcast: Week in Review — No, It’s Not World War III
UPDATE 1545 GMT: The Organization for the Prohibtion of Chemical Weapons says it will continue with a visit to Douma and chemical attack sites.
The OPCW has already been limited in its investigation by Russia, which has blocked any attribution of responsiblity and whose personnel reportedly moved into the sites soon after the attacks to remove or disrupt evidence.
The Assad regime’s outlets are accompanying the OPCW visit with more propaganda trying to divert from last weekend’s chemical attacks. SANA repeats a story that it also tried last month, before the regime’s use of chlorine and a stronger agent:
During canvassing operations in the towns which were cleared from terrorism in Eastern Ghouta, Syrian Arab Army units found a large a lab for making toxic materials and workshop for manufacturing shells in Aftris area.
The Pentagon says a Russian “disinformation campaign” has already begun over the U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria.
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White noted earlier Saturday that “there has been a 2,000% increase in Russian trolls in the past 24 hours”, in part to spread misinformation and disinformation around the Assad regime’s chemical attacks and the international response.
UPDATE 1430 GMT: Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the US Joint Staff, said not a single missile was intercepted by Assad regime defense.
He said that the regime’s air defense was “remarkably ineffective”, firing only after the US attack had ended.
McKenzie told reporters that the US believes there were chemical weapons and nerve agents stored in the military facility in Barzeh, near Damascus, which was struck this morning.
Interesting tidbits on Barzeh:
1. Thought to be one of two main CW R&D facilities in Syria
2. Was not initially declared to OPCW in 2014
3. OPCW conducted two rounds of testing at Barzeh and Jamrayah facilities in 2017 . 8/— Anne Pellegrino (@annemp13) April 14, 2018
The general said attacks were designed minimize any fallout through dispersal of chemicals into the air.
McKenzie said “as of now” the US not aware of any civilian casualties.
See also Podcast: Week in Review — No, It’s Not World War III
UPDATE 1330 GMT: Donald Trump has proclaimed success via Twitter — using the same phrase that George W. Bush used to announce victory in Iraq on May 1, 2003:
A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018
UPDATE 1325 GMT: White Helmets rescuers say regime forces fired on a bus carrying displaced people from Douma, killing an 11-year-old child and wounding four people.
UPDATE 1255 GMT: Russia’s latest claim is that 71 of 103 US-UK-French missiles were downed by the Assad regime’s air defenses.
Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian military said the strikes had not caused any casualties and Assad regime military facilities suffered only minor damage.
Rudskoi said Russian advisers had spent the last 18 months completely rebuilding the regime’s air defence system, and said the high number of intercepted rockets spoke to “the high effectiveness of the weaponry in Syria and the excellent training of Syrian servicemen prepared by our specialists”.
The Assad regime’s military prefers a count of 110 missiles and the assertion that “most” were intercepted.
The US-UK-French targets included two major military complexes — described by the Assad regime as “research facilities” — in Damascus, a third near Homs, and five military bases and depots used by elite army divisions in southern Damascus.
Some of the targets have been struck in the past by Israeli operations.
UPDATE 1245 GMT: Bashar al-Assad has spoken by phone with his ally Iran.
State media said Assad told President Hassan Rouhani that the airstrikes will only increase Syrian resolve to fight terrorism” which is supported by Western countries.
Rouhani reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to the Syrian regime, according to Assad’s office.
Syrian State media show people walking around a crater which it claims was caused by one of the US-UK-France missiles.
UPDATE 1230 GMT: UK Prime Minister Theresa May has set out the reasons for British involvement in airstrikes.
May emphasized the Assad regime’s responsibility for last Saturday’s chemical assault on Douma — “No other group could have carried out this attack” — and its record since 2013 of using sarin and chlorine:
This must be stopped. We have sought to do so using every possible diplomatic channel. But our efforts have been repeatedly thwarted both on the ground and in the United Nations.
She repeated her overnight assurance, “This was not about interfering in a civil war. And it was not about regime change.”
Russia’s Vladimir Putin said the strikes without a UN Security Council mandate are an “act of aggression against a sovereign state” and a “violation of international law”, and asserted that the US, Britain, and France were “prompting a new wave of asylum-seekers from Syria and the whole region”.
Putin did not refer to Russia’s 12 vetoes at the Security Council preventing action against attacks on civilians, nor did he discuss any responsibility by the Assad regime and Moscow in displacing millions of Syrians.
See also Podcasts: The Impending Strike v. Assad’s Chemical Attacks — What Happens Next?
UPDATE 0710 GMT: Russian and Assad regime outlets are putting out wildly conflicting claims about the strikes.
The Russian news agency RIA, in contrast to the initial claim of about 30 missiles, is now asserting, “over 100 cruise missiles and air to ground missiles were launched by the air and sea missile carriers of USA, France and the UK”.
Sputnik claims the “majority” of the missiles were intercepted. The Russia Defense Ministry, continuing to say the advanced S-400 air defense system was not needed, said Assad forces repelled the attack with Russian-made S-125, BUK, and S-200 missiles.
Syrian State news agency SANA says three civilians have been injured. It does give a bit of concrete information, identifying two of the targets as a military facility in Barzeh, near Damascus, and military depots near Homs.
Hundreds of people reportedly gathered at squares in Damascus, honking car horns, flashing victory signs, and waving flags, as vehicles with loudspeakers roamed the streets and played nationalists songs.
BREAKING: Less than 2 hours after the bombing ending, celebrations have begun in the Syrian capital Damascus in defiance of the US-led strike. pic.twitter.com/EiXwqkoGW3
— Haidar Sumeri (@IraqiSecurity) April 14, 2018
Bashar al-Assad’s office tweeted, “Good souls will not be humiliated,” Syria’s presidency tweeted after the airstrikes began. A State broadcaster pronounced “Good morning steadfastness.”
State TV has reinforced the message that all is well by showing Assad arriving at his office for work, repeating the caption, “A Morning of Steadfastness”.
صباح الصمود..
رئاسة الجمهورية العربية السورية pic.twitter.com/hhIZT6cOTe
— Syrian Presidency (@Presidency_Sy) April 14, 2018
ORIGINAL ENTRY: The US, UK, France have launched airstrikes “on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities”.
The attacks on three sites, just before 4 am local time, were in response to the Assad regime’s two chemical attacks a week ago on Douma, in East Ghouta near Damascus.
As Donald Trump announced the operations, explosions were heard in Damascus, Homs, and other locations. A US official said the attacks were on multiple targets and included Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapon capabilities of Syrian dictator of Bashar al-Assad,” Trump said, late Friday night Washington time.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018
UK Prime Minister Theresa May said, “We would have preferred an alternative path. But on this occasion there is none.” She assured that the attacks were not about “regime change” or “intervening in a civil war”, but were to “deter the use of chemical weapons”.
It was "right and legal" to take military action in Syria – UK PM @Theresa_May makes statement on #SyriaStrikes https://t.co/YNqSuaT2e0 pic.twitter.com/jQk1YGo5Xb
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) April 14, 2018
Four Tornado jets took part in the strikes.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France’s involvement, saying Paris could not tolerate the normalization of the use of chemical weapons. The French Defense Minister said operations targeted three sites and Russia was informed beforehand. Twelve missiles were fired from a frigate in the the eastern Mediterranean and from Rafale aircraft based in France.
Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that the three targets were chosen to minimize the chance of Russian casualties: “We specifically identified these targets to mitigate the risk of Russian forces being involved, and we used our normal de-confliction channels — those were active this week — to work through the airspace issues and so forth.”
However, he denied that US tipped off the Russians of the incoming attacks: “We did not do any coordination with the Russians on the strikes, nor did we pre-notify them.”
Defense Secretary James Mattis said the US attacked only with conclusive evidence that the Assad regime used chlorine in the Douma attacks and that it may have also used sarin.
The head of NATO, Jen Stoltenberg, said, “I support the actions taken by the United States, the United Kingdom and France….This will reduce the regime’s ability to further attack the people of Syria with chemical weapons.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged members to “show restraint in these dangerous circumstances” and to “avoid any acts that could escalate the situation and worsen the suffering of the Syrian people”:
Any use of chemical weapons is abhorrent. The suffering it causes is horrendous. I have repeatedly expressed my deep disappointment that the Security Council failed to agree on a dedicated mechanism for effective accountability for the use of chemical weapons in Syria. I urge the Security Council to assume its responsibilities and fill this gap.
Assad Regime-Russia-Iran Reactions
As it has done repeatedly with Israeli attacks on military positions, Syrian State TV claimed air defences shot down several missiles. The SANA news agency declared, “The tripartite aggression is a flagrant violation of international law.”
The Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, focused on the effect on President Vladimir Putin:
pre-designed scenario is being implemented. Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences.
Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible.
Russia’s Defense Ministry tried to deflect questions as to why advanced S-400 air defense systems had not blocked the attacks, saying no US or allied missiles had entered Russian defense zones.
The other essential ally of the Assad regime, Iran, said through Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi:
The United States and its allies have no proof and, without even waiting for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to take a position, have carried out this military attack…and are responsible for the regional consequences.
A senior pro-Assad official, probably from Hezbollah, said “all [targeted] military bases were evacuated a few days ago”, and maintained that a third of about 30 missiles had been shot down.
A Token Attack?
The Syrian opposition, activists, and analysts all expressed concern that the strikes would have little effect on the wider regime-Russian conventional bombing which has killed many tens of thousands of civilians and contributed to the displacement of millions.
Opposition leader Nasr al-Hariri said, “Maybe the regime will not use chemical weapons again, but it will not hesitate to use weapons the international community has allowed it, such as barrel bombs and cluster bombs.
Journalist C.J. Chivers, a specialist on military affairs:
Message received in Syria from Washington, London & Paris: We find one type of your crimes to be (mildly, theatrically) punishable. So stick to your others, like the proper militarized nations we deal with and tolerate, per routine.
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) April 14, 2018
Mohammad Alloush, a senior official in the Jaish al-Islam rebel faction which was forced to capitulate in Douma after last week’s chemical attacks, tweeted: “Punishing the tool of the crime but allowing the survival of the criminal is a farce.”
“”Turkey was informed ahead of the attack,” he wrote on Twitter. “The Incirlik base was not used in the attack.””
Turkey wouldn’t even let the coalition use Incirlik against Assad. Bloody Islamics.
Turkey wouldn’t even let the coalition use Incirlik base to help the Islamics?
Nice pictures of Assad’s “Scientific Research Center” turned into rubble. This is where Assad conducts his research on WMDs.
If Assad gets away with his sarin program, then the next time some neighborhood rises, like in Daraa in 2011, he will blanket the place with sarin – no questions asked. This is the level of moral depravity that the pro-Assad “anti-war but gas them” crowd is demanding.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5614707/Syrian-air-defenses-shoot-13-missiles-fired-led-attack-country.html
Nice pictures of Assad’s “Scientific Research Center” turned into rubble. This is where Assad conducts his research on WMDs.
Totally debunked. Lies upon lies upon lies.
Instead, the centre had been producing antidotes to scorpion and snake venom while running tests on chemical products used in making food, medicine and children’s toys, according to Said.
“If there were chemical weapons, we would not be able to stand here. I’ve been here since 5:30 am in full health — I’m not coughing,” he added.
https://www.afp.com/en/news/826/destroyed-syria-lab-workers-deny-producing-toxic-weapons-doc-1411by1
If there were WMDs produced there. then bombing them would has risked spreading those CWs to the neighborhood. This is exactly the same lies we were fed when in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Clinton bombed the pharmaceutical factory in Sudan that produced aspirin.
Antidotes to scorpion venom — that’s a quality one….
Antidotes to scorpion venom — that’s a quality one….
So is the claim they have known about this facility all along and done nothing about it, even after the OPCW gave it the green light
The OPCW did *not* clear the Barzeh facility of claims over chemical weapons and nerve agents.
The BBC article, being used by pro-Assad activists, is mistaken when it portrays the OPCW as reporting that it not observed “any activities inconsistent with obligations under the CWC [Chemical Weapons Convention]”.
Here’s what the OPCW reports actually say:
1. There was a first inspection in February 2017 in which no inconsistent activities were observed.
2. There was a follow-up inspection in November 2017, but the OPCW does *not* what it found or make any assessment.
https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/EC/85/en/ec85dg16_e_.pdf
https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/EC/87/en/ec87dg04_e_.pdf
Here’s what the OPCW reports actually say:
IOW. The OPCW inspected the facility and found no evidence of CW production at the facility as of February 2017.
That means, according to Washington’s claims, Barazah became a weapons production some time after February 2017.
A misreading of the OPCW report.
A misreading of the OPCW report.
How else is one to read “There was a first inspection in February 2017 in which no inconsistent activities were observed”?
The clue might be that “first inspection” refers to an ongoing process, rather than full clearance of the facility — and that the goal is still the destruction of that facility.
This is a research center for weaponization of sarin. Like how to mix it with chlorine. Only trace amounts are needed. The actual production is done in other places like Homs and Safirah.
The only one debunked in here is you Andre. But again we forgot….how many cruise were downed by the mighty syrian AA? 🙂 🙂
Try stitching your brain on for once Caligola. If there was Sarin or any other CW being produce in that facility, what kind of moronic superpower would decide to bomb it?
ow many cruise were downed by the mighty syrian AA?
71 🙂
Bombing sarin stocks carried no danger unless the sarin has been mixed and is ready for delivery.
Bombing sarin stocks carried no danger unless the sarin has been mixed and is ready for delivery.
That’s odd. Only a week ago you were claiming it was too dangerous to produce those components in anything less than a lab funded by a state actor.
And doesn’t bombing a facility containing those components risk those components coming into contact with one another?
You are most confused. The key to the danger here is the mixing process.
But Scott, the other day you claimed it would be too dangerous for non state actors to produce Novichok even though it too is a binary nerve agent and that there would be no need to mix the components to produce it.
Because production of Novichoks involves mixing and testing of the nerve agent — which can be quite dangerous.
Because production of Novichoks involves mixing and testing of the nerve agent — which can be quite dangerous.
But surely that would apply too all binary nerve agents right?
71 only?!? Damn i thought success ratio was above 110% for the glorious syrian AA,…. 🙂
Sources showing US sub sonic Tomohawk junk getting swatted 🙂
https://twitter.com/Dannymakkisyria/status/985006337091305474
https://twitter.com/WaelAlRussi/status/985038974044508160
Makes perfect sense. Does anyone believe the US needed to fire 100 missiles to destroy 3 modest targets? Note that no airfields were even scratched.
Four missiles targeted the Damascus International Airport; 12 missiles – the Al-Dumayr airdrome, all the missiles have been shot down.
18 missiles targeted the Blai airdrome, all the missiles shot down.
12 missiles targeted the Shayrat air base, all the missiles shot down. Air bases were not affected by the strike.
Five out of nine missiles were shot down targeting the unoccupied Mazzeh airdrome.
Thirteen out of sixteen missiles were shot down targeting the Homs airdrome. There are no heavy destructions.
In total 30 missiles targeted facilities near Barzah and Jaramana. Seven of them have been shot down.
It’s incredible how when Assad and Russia commit their typical war crimes you seem to need all the evidence in the world and even then it’s never good enough to convince you to change your subservient pro-regime positions. But all Russia has to do is merely claim that 71 missiles were shot down by soviet era garbage while producing not one iota of credible evidence and you take it as an indisputable fact. LMAO
I don’t think it’s incredible at all given that every war the US has been involved with at least since Vietnam has been insisted and justified on the basis of lies.
Cool story. Given the fact that you can only muster a sad ass attempt at a diversion I’ll take that acknowledgement that I’m right.
Now that he has received a slap on the wrist and been told that he is ‘a naughty boy’ we can be sure that the evil terrorist Assad, will give up his brutally psychopathic murderous ways and enrol in a local knitting circle to prove that he is now totally non-violent.
great article on why the s400 didnt fire
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/726/20459479374_8424f15b24_b.jpg
Can Syria and Russia show a few wreckage of the 70 Tomahawk missiles that they claim the S-400 have shot down?
Syria don’t even have S300s. Russians stupidly delayed supply to Syria as a favor to the Americans. They have S200s and Pantsir missiles.
The F.U.K.U.S. coalition of cowards fired the missiles from
100km off the cost of Syria. The sluggish Tomohawks would have taken 10 minutes to reach Syria’s coastline so the AA missiles had ample time to intercept them before they even reached Syrian land
Useless strikes. bdrhmnhrk says assadists are quite happy.
https://twitter.com/bdrhmnhrk/status/985121340935073793
The message given to regime is clear, “go ahead continue killing syrians with barrel bombs but never use CWs.
Bad show with 2nd class actors.
Good analysis from Omer Ozkizilcik. For the regime it was worth to use CWs.
https://twitter.com/OmerOzkizilcik/status/985073955919880192
Shame on Erdogan for repeating the Assad line. Turkey has no shame.
If they stop using chem weapons, of any kind, then this is a great success. If I say great success in a Borat accent would that help?
Thanks again for your “oh the US didn’t do enough to help us” bullshit
I agree. The attack wasnt the widescale one which many expected. I guess there were different options on the table and the less invasive won. Probably to have onboard the british and especially the french. But even if harder airstrikes prevailed they were never meant to change the situation on the ground. Rebels would be naive to think so. Basically a slap to Assad warning him not to do it again. Which dident help back in 2017….so i guess it will not deter him much in trying again in the next future.
Bolton and Trump – allegedly very “moved” by the pictures of dead civilians – wanted a more punishing attack. Mattis wanted to minimize the possibility of escalation and unnecessary involvement in the civil war. Obviously, the latter won out.
Thank God for the adults in the room.
And I dare say that this had a lot to do with the warnings from Moscow that they were prepare to retaliate and even escalate.
No. Nothing to do with russian threats. Sorry. Just common sense from the russians. No need to be wiped out for supporting Assad.
Mattis himself talked Trump into reducing the scale of the operation and the planes involved stayed far away from Syrian air space. So yes, the threats were a factor.
Just inside your particular mind Andre. Like 100% of what you say in here. 🙂
Inside Mattis’s mind too.
Does anyone believe Bolton was “moved”? More likely he was aroused
Turkey is more than welcome to carry out their own strikes if they can find their balls and take some time out of their busy schedule of murdering kurds.
As Kevin says, Turkey is more than welcome to attack SAF and save human lives. But Turkey and that piece of feces Erdogan not only have helped Assad in every way, but also attacked the Kurds and killed about 2,000 Kurds and then turns a blind eye when Assad gasses the children.
But that does not stop Meokur, who considers himself European, but hates Europe for not being Muslim, to complain that the US has not done enough. The pinnacle of hypocrisy will be reached had Trump bombed a lot more targets and a few civilians were killed — and we were told by the “observing Muslim” how rabid US imperialism is to bomb a tiny country.
In other words, condemning America is the purpose. Damn if it does and damn if it doesn’t. Who cares about gassed children — just a minor inconvenience.
It seems you don’t follow news,
Erdogan welcomed the strikes
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/14/turkeys-erdogan-welcomes-us-allied-strike-syria-ch/
Rebels Say Western Strikes ‘Farce’ as Long as President Bashar al-Assad Stays: https://www.news18.com/news/world/syria-rebels-say-western-strikes-farce-as-long-as-president-bashar-al-assad-stays-1718303.html
“Syria’s opposition Saturday said Western strikes on government military positions did not go far enough, with rebels casting them as a “farce” as long as President Bashar al-Assad remains in power.”
After last night’s fireworks display, which amused Damscus residents starved of entertainment, the OPCW has entered Douma to begin its investigation into the alleged chemical attack. Meanwhile, the Syrian army has reported finding a chemical weapons workshop in Ghouta: https://sana.sy/en/?p=134173
“During canvassing operations in the towns which were cleared from terrorism in Eastern Ghouta, Syrian Arab Army units found a large a lab for making toxic materials and workshop for manufacturing shells in Aftris area. A military source said that lab that was abandoned by terrorists in Aftris town is equipped to make various types of toxic substances, and has all the necessary equipment for making powders used in making prohibited weapons. The source said the lab contained chlorine and protective gear, as well as ampoules used for mixing and special containers.”
OPCW: Please investigate and verify this report.
Btw, it is written in today’s post that, “Defense Secretary James Mattis said the US attacked only with conclusive evidence that the Assad regime used chlorine in the Douma attacks and that it may have also used sarin.”
Did Mattis say that he had conclusive evidence? I heard him give the following statement to the media: “We are very confident that chlorine was used. We are not ruling out sarin right now.” Being confident and having irrefutable and conclusive evidence are quite different.
Yes, Mattis and other officials are saying “conclusive evidence” of chlorine.
Thanks for inserting the Assad regime propaganda — which is exactly the same line of a “lab” that they put out last month.
Some agencies are claiming he had “conclusive evidence” of chlorine use, but he never actually used those words.Instead he merely reported having “confidence”. If you have a transcript of the Pentagon briefing where he himself uses the word “conclusive”, I would love to see it! Here is the video of the briefing: https://www.c-span.org/video/?444080-1/secretary-mattis-confident-syria-responsible-chemical-attack
At 20:36, Mattis says that, “We are very confident that sarin was used.”
Mattis and other Pentagon officials have been saying in parallel interviews to outlets that the attack was pursued after the US had confirmed chlorine use — you’re relying only on the specific line from the news conference.
Mattis and other Pentagon officials have been saying in parallel interviews to outlets that the attack was pursued after the US had confirmed chlorine use
Mattis’ answer to the press was very ambiguous. He said he was confident that this was the case, not that anything had been “confirmed”. Even Laura Ingram on FOx was pointing out that Mattis’s body language was unusually evasive and non committal – as if to suggest he didn’t believe what he was saying.
In this case, ambiguity is in the eye of the pro-Assad beholder.
Ok amir, now give your bayah to nasrallat and sing lakal bayah nasheed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wswkGItB7k
The Pentagon. Directly from the director of the joint staff Lt.Gen Mckenzie. Of the 105 missiles fired not even one got intercepted by syrian air defences. 40 AA were fired from the syrians hitting nothing. Whats interesting is that those 40 AA were fired after the last cruise hitted, basically the syrians were blinded by support of prior elettronic warfare. 3 targets, chemical wmd facilities, completely razed. Russian AA systems were not employed. There was no coordination with the russians before the strike. Just the deconflict line was open like usuall.
Another reason the syrians saw nothing coming is thanks to the deployment of the AGM-158 JASSM. A stealth cruise missile of new generation. Impressive.
Directly from the director of the joint staff Lt.Gen Mckenzie. Of the 105 missiles fired not even one got intercepted by syrian air defences.
As if the Pentagon would ever admit otherwise. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights proved otherwise.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights managed to monitored interception by the regime forces to tens of missiles which targeted their positions and military bases in the Syrian territory, where several intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory, that the number missiles that were downed, exceeded 65 missiles
http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=89324
Most of the missiles aimed at the Shayrat base last year missed their target and the Pentagon refused to admid it. 59 missiles were fired at the base and it was up and running within 24 hours. One commentator suggested the warheads must have been filled with Nurf Balls
Basically the Americans radar systems were blinded by Russians electronic warfare and jamming systems. Even eye witnesses on the ground counted 69 cruise missiles were blown out of the sky.
Stunning result considering that these AA missiles were old generation too.
Each time Russia claims they shot down a missile, it was done with their “old system”. I wonder when is Russia going to deploy their new system? It has been years now.
Any pictures of wrecked Tomahawks? Or will that be a prop that they carry from location to location and film over and over again, where nobody is allowed to inspect?
Lol – if 70 missiles were intercepted over Damascus, how come there is no report of civilian deaths in the city where the 70 Tomahawks dropped?
if 70 missiles were intercepted over Damascus, how come there is no report of civilian deaths in the city where the 70 Tomahawks dropped?
Why would there be death from falling debris?
If none of the missiles were intercepted over Damascus, how come there is no report of civilian deaths from the 105 Tomohawks?
105 on 105. Reality is a bitch sometimes 🙂
Syria claims to shoot down 110 of 100 allied missiles. “Our air defenses are giving 110%!” exclaims Assad.
Syria claims to shoot down 110 of 100 allied missiles. “Our air defenses are giving 110%!” exclaims Assad.
Even the SOFHR confirmed 69 had been shot down.
This could turn out out be a major PR disaster for General Dynamics. I hope no one here has shares in GD 🙂
Where is the wreckage?
Where is the wreckage?
Most would have landed out at sea.
Where is the evidence of that? Did they even present photographic evidence? No? Didn’t think so. And yet every time Assad launches a fresh chemical attack the first thing kremlinbots call for is evidence. lol
More operational details: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/04/14/us-warships-b-1-bombers-strike-against-assad-after-suspected-chemical-attack.html
1. Fox News confirmed that warships and U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers, which flew out of Qatar, were used in Friday’s “campaign”.
2. The U.S. officials said Friday’s airstrikes were twice the size of the U.S. assault last year, which targeted a single airbase. [This is consistent with the numbers of missiles reported by Syrian air defenses]
3. Mattis said the U.S. intelligence has determined that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in last Saturday’s attack.[ Sarin could not be confirmed according to Mattis in response to a question].
4. Dunford said missiles first struck a scientific research center in the Damascus area that he said was a center of Syrian research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology. The second target was a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs. He said this was believed to be the main site of Syrian sarin and precursor chemical production equipment. The third target was a chemical weapons equipment storage facility and an important command post, also west of Homs, Dunford said.
5. Mattis said no follow-up attacks are planned and that the Pentagon was careful to ensure the safety of Russian troops and Syrian civilians in the area.
The U.S and U.K did test new ordnance, namely smart bombs and missiles. So at least they achieved something!
I listened to a former US diplomat on RT explaining why he thought the alleged Douma chemical attack, of which there has been no independent confirmation, happened right now. He said that Trump’s decision to pull out 2,000 US troops from Syria had angered some in the deep state who wanted to maintain a foothold in the country. The Douma incident gave them an excuse to try and prolong the American occupation.
Yeah, RT likes to call on these guys who were once in Government service but are now devoted to whipping up conspiracy theories.
Wonder why?
They also are praising Tucker Carlson of FoxNews for not buying into the chemical weapons claims: https://www.rt.com/usa/423707-tucker-carlson-monologue-syria/?spot_im_scroll_to_comments=true/
All the geniuses tell us that Assad killed those children, but do they really know that? Of course they don’t really know that. They’re making it up. They have no real idea what happened,” Carlson said. “Actually both sides in the Syrian civil war possess chemical weapons,” he said, noting that it wouldn’t have benefited Assad to use chlorine gas, since his forces have been winning the war in Syria.
I just watched the Pentagon update briefing today. Reporters asked what evidence they had of a chemical attack, and the sources that provided it. The civilian official was stumped and just said, “we have evidence…we will disclose the details when we have…more evidence.” It was a farcical moment.
I can see why you would spin this way, but the officials were not “stumped” in the briefing. US is being careful how much they disclose and when they do so.
P.S. When you are relying on Tucker Carlson, you may to run a systems check of your propaganda lines.
Yeah, RT likes to call on these guys who were once in Government service but are now devoted to whipping up conspiracy theories.
Yea right. Just like Fox News who had this general on who said in his 25 years of service, that he had witnessed many cases of intelligence being fabricated and politicized. He too clearly does not buy the official story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAgfgxsBTI4
And just like Sky News who cut off this Major General as soon as he posed the question as to what Assad stood to gain by launching this attack when he had all but achieved total victory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtPhe7YsGmU.
Ah, yes, the whipped-up conspiracy story of Sky cutting off the a Major General — rather than the actual, prosaic explanation of a commerical break.
Dictators who routinely kill their own people need WMDs for self-preservation. Now go figure.
b>More reaction about the symbolic, limited strikes:
Mr Sharif Shehadeh, a former Syrian lawmaker, said by telephone from Damascus that the attack was a victory for Syria. “Instead of weakening the government, it only made it stronger,” he said. “Trump did it to save face.” http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/syria-says-joint-strikes-a-violation-of-international-law-doomed-to-fail
Leonid Slutsky, the head of the Russian parliament’s committee on foreign affairs. said that “Washington and its allies are trying to cover up their traces in the case of faking the gas attack in Syria’s Douma,”
“Fuad Shahbazov, an analyst, stated that Russia was warned about the attack in advance. The territory where the Russian military bases are located were not touched. This means that the US, Britain and France are trying to prevent a military confrontation with Russia in Syria. This is good.” He indicated that Moscow did not even need to respond militarily because the US strike was so much of a failure that it was “the sound of a closing door by the Americans who are leaving Syria”. “Soon, you will read in the Western press that the West handed over Syria to Putin. And that it cannot do anything against Assad and got off with symbolic strikes for saving its face.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/russia-respond-strikes-syria-180414073837550.html
The West did not hand Syria to Russia. It was Obama, the leftie president, who handed Syria over.
Russia claims Syria air defences shot down 71 of 103 missileshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/14/russia-claims-syria-air-defences-shot-down-majority-missiles
The S-400 system, however, did not engaged the targets but only tracked them.
Syria claims that, in fact, 110 missiles were launched: https://sana.sy/en/?p=134238
Video of Syrian air defenses intercepting one of the Trump’s missiles: http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/04/14/558439/Syria-Russia-Donald-Trump
Syria also claims a couple of depots and a scientific research centre was hit: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-explosions/western-attack-struck-syrian-research-center-other-targets-idUSKBN1HL02U
I listened to the press conference at the Pentagon. Mattis clearly stated that they had fired twice as many weapons as they did last year when they launched. He also admitted that the U.S still has no proof that sarin was used in the alleged attack: “We are “very confident” that chlorine was used. We are not ruling out sarin right now,” Mattis said.: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-mattis/u-s-fires-one-time-shot-at-syria-after-chlorine-attack-idUSKBN1HL04K
Hahahahahahah…..very funny 🙂
Not so funny if you hold shares in General Dynamics. I can imagine stocks being dumped in a fire sale after 71 of the 103 missiles were shot out of the sky by obsolete and outdated AA systems 🙂
nice job bombing your own people with worthless weapons
I’m glad the Russians claimed that soviet era junk shot down 71 missiles. For one it’s an extremely obvious lie to anybody who isn’t a cheerleader for the genocidal tyrant. For another how desperate Russian propaganda has become. Anybody who knows anything about the success rate of anti-missile defense systems can see how full of shit the Russians are. Not only that, they are claiming it was soviet era systems that shot them down. LOLOL
The press-TV video is hilarious. First off there are no secondary explosion after the missile explodes. Second off, the Tomahawk is skimming the terrain on its way to the Scientific Research Center, and it would not be a kilometer above ground where the Syrian missile exploded. The Syrian missile ran out of fuel and didn’t have a lock on anything, so it self-detonated.
First off there are no secondary explosion after the missile explodes.
Why should there be a secondary explosion? All that is required is for the missile propulsion system to be disabled.
Remember we are speaking with a guy that wanted to pass a cardboard tank dummy for a US M1 Abram. Epic failure which sums up what kind of person he is. That post should have been made permanent on every daily message board.
Remember we are speaking with a guy that wanted to pass a cardboard tank dummy for a US M1 Abram.
Remember we are speaking with a guy that declared the 2017 strikes on the Shayrat airbase completely destroyed the place, even though it was up and running within 24 hrs. 🙂
Keep dreaming Andre….keep dreaming about a world were syrian AA intercepts 71 US Cruise.. When you wake up remember to wipe your eyes
So much for those mighty Russians shooting down the missiles. They aren’t going to do shit. Glad to see their ridiculous bluff called.
Paper tiger.
71 of the 103 missiles shot down. No significant damage to Assad’s military infrastructure.
One of the targets that were hit was the undefended Barzah Scientific Research Center near Damascus. The Pentagon claims that chemical weapons are made or stored there. That claim is obviously a lie:
In 2013 Syrian joined the Chemical Warfare Convention and gave up all its chemical weapons.
The OPCW has checked all accessible former chemical weapon sites in Syria and observed the destruction of the production equipment.
It has visited and inspected (pdf) the Barzeh facility. Twice.
After the equipment was removed the Barzah site was abandoned.
Paper tiger indeed. 🙂
Clearly the Assad regime did not give up all its chemical weapons. And Barzeh is one of the two locations that has been targeted for those stocks.
Hezbollah said only 10 missiles were shot down, and Syria said only 13 missiles shot down, and then you say 71 missiles were shot down by 30 year old systems?
Besides, the video shows the Russian missile a kilometer up in the air, while we know Tomahawk skim the terrain. Just a show of lies, as we always expect from Russia.
105 all on target. Zero reaction from the soviets. As usuall. Yes. Paper tiger supported by fools out of reality like yourself. 🙂
What did Amrica and the West achieved with this stupid bombing? Assad is stronger and more popular among his supporters, The Arabs realize that the mighty Amrica is worries, not to say scared of the Russian reaction. What has been achieve but some pseudo- altruist meaningless show for the righteous dummies?
Scared of russian reaction?? Yeah right. 130 cruise missiles after…..lol
Scared of russian reaction?? Yeah right. 130 cruise missiles after…..lol
71 of which were shot down. The rest hitting abandoned buidings. LOL
You understand the desperation of this idiot (andre) when he needs to post under every other post the most comical of all claims. The downing of 71 cruise…..maybe on his videogames he plays in his shed 🙂
Spoken like a true sociopathic regime supporter. lol
Fine. Please outline the achievements.
For one thing Assad will at least have to consider a response if/when he launches any more chemical attacks. This is the first time anyone responded to a chlorine attack despite the fact that he has launched several. Personally I think they should’ve just flattened a few Presidential palaces. That’s the only way dictators, like the one you fervently support for some fucking reason, learn anything.
Now tell me what Israel achieves by murdering unarmed Palestinians?
For one thing Assad will at least have to consider a response if/when he launches any more chemical attacks.
That’s what Washington said last time. If anything, this response was even less significant than the one a year ago. This
Personally I think they should’ve just flattened a few Presidential palaces.
Of course, because all the WMD are stored in the basements right?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jul/02/saddam-hussein-fbi-iraq-iran
Now tell me what Israel achieves by murdering unarmed Palestinians?
The same thing the US do by murdering Muslims. Now tell me what the US achieves by vetoing resolutions condemning the murder of unarmed Palestinians?
If they were unarmed, then why only male demonstrators between the ages of 16 and 30?
So why didn’t your Russian overlords shoot down the missiles like they swore to do? I think they were hiding under their beds. lol
So why didn’t your Russian overlords shoot down the missiles like they swore to do?
The US and Russia were is heavy dialogue before the attack. They struck a deal to save face for both leaders. Trump would get to launch a limited strike on unimportant targets and Russia would in turn stay out of it.
Now Trump can proceed with withdrawing from Syria and Russia/Assad get to enjoy their victory.
“Russia/Assad get to enjoy their victory.”
Hopefully they enjoy many more such “victories”. lol. You’re a joke.
Earth to Kevin. Assad has already won the war and this latest spit ball was just a Hail Mary tantrum by the US who have lost.
Coming from a tool like you that really means a lot. lol
of course the savages in the middle east may interpret it like that. But here is another way.. We really dont give a shit about the syrians enough to get into a war with Russia over them where we have to wipe out millions. Take it as a show of mercy that we didnt annihilate a fuck ton of people in the middle east and russia, which is well within our power to do.
We really dont give a shit about the syrians enough to get into a war with Russia over them where we have to wipe out millions. Take it as a show of mercy that we didnt annihilate a fuck ton of people in the middle east and russia, which is well within our power to do.
As they do to the US. But glad you admit the claims that this had anything to do with humanitarian concerns is total BS and all about geo politics
Wrong, US doesn’t have to go to war with russia to save syrians. The moment putin sees US is serious he will retreat as happened in the past.
So much for those mighty Russians shooting down the missiles. They aren’t going to do shit. Glad to see their ridiculous bluff called.
Sorry to break it to you Kevin, but the Tomohoawks were so easily blown out of the sky by Syria’s relatively antiquated air defenses that the Russians decided to go back to bed when they realized the SAA had things under control 🙂
Keeps us laughing Andre. I am just half way in reading this daily and this is like the 10th same reply you give. 200 out og 105 ok since we are in bullshit la la land lets exagerate to the max….you fool 🙂
I appreciate how frustrating this must be for you Caligola. Since been so patient over the last 3 years, waiting for that magical day when the US would finally put on it’s gloves and give the Russians the spanking they so deserved.
When I first saw that ridiculous Russian claim how did I know that kremlinbots like you would eat that shit up? So predictable. Russia could tell you the sky isn’t blue and water isn’t wet and you’d believe them with zero questions asked. How pathetic. Then you take that obviously false claim and repeat it about 7000 times. SMH. Who the hell do you think you are fooling aside from yourself?
It looks like this was indeed a symbolic attack and not a serious effort to weaken Assad. None of the missile went anywhere near Russians locations and the excuses given by Washington and London as so absurd they are even leaving Fox News talking heads scratching their heads. Even Laura Ingram asked the obvious question as to how is it they targeted Assad’s CW facilities, if they have known about the existence of these facilities all along?
Even Mattis looked less that convinced of the lame answers he gave to reporters about the evidence.
Hey so were is the mighty reaction of the soviiets? Were they supposed to hit anything from the sky? No actually they said that and that they would have gone after the source of fire. Well??? As expected the russians reaction….zero as usuall. Threats threats bla bla bla. Welcome to the real world Andre 🙂 🙂
Hey so were is the mighty reaction of the soviiets?
So much for a massive and decisive attack by F.U.K.U.S. 71 of the 103 missiles were shot down by Syria’s own AA missiles using old generation S200s and Pantsir missiles. Given that there was so much communication between the US and Russia prior to these bombings, it is pretty clear that the two sides came to an agreement to allow both leaders to save face and avoid direct confrontation.
I for one and relieved this turned out to be such a limited and inconsenquential attack.
Yes yes Andre 200 downed out of 100 fired 🙂 you fool ! Keep us posted with your daily bullshit.
“71 of the 103 missiles were shot down”
So surprised that Andre is eating up this obvious and blatant propaganda meant for the kremlin to save face after they were humiliated yet again..
So surprised that Andre is eating up this obvious and blatant propaganda meant for the kremlin to save face after they were humiliated yet again..
Since when is SOHR a Krelim outlet? I’d say if the US needs 100 tomahawk missiles to destroy a handful of buildings, it’s you that must be humiliated. 🙂
Present evidence or stfu.
Missile intercepting Tomahawk subsonic junk
https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/984966579732398080
See from 8:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPOZdp989ZA&t=1070s
Holy shit. THAT is your “evidence”? It’s even more pathetic than I expected. Some post on twitter that has zero evidence and some random ass Russian propaganda video from God knows when showing something in the sky exploding. Where are the photographs of the downed missiles? Why can’t they show even a single photo of what one would think would be an easily recognizable tomahawk? You have nothing. The Syrians fired off a bunch of missiles and made a big show after the missiles had already struck. Did you also notice how the Russians started out by saying only 13 missiles had been knocked down? I guess someone higher up in Russia’s propaganda apparatus felt that wasn’t a big enough number and that Russian tools would believe any number. lol.. How sad.
Holy shit. THAT is your “evidence”? It’s even more pathetic than I expected.
What’s pathetic is tha you can’t refute the video evidence so you are resorting to arguing that the video is not credible because it is hosted or embedded on web sites and Twitter accounts you claim are pro Russian.
Epic fail.
Some post on twitter that has zero evidence and some random ass Russian propaganda video from God knows when showing something in the sky exploding.
Because as we all know, seeing a missile take off then detonating in the sky could mean anything right? 😉
Of course that doesn’t explain the other three videos showing the same thing.
Where are the photographs of the downed missiles?
The Tomohawk junk carries a 1000lb warhead which can turn an entire building to rubble. An aluminum fuselage of a Tomohawk would be shredded or evaporate under that energy.
You are separate. The Russians stayed within hours that 71 Tomohawks had been shot out of the out of the sky. Naturally they updated their numbers as time went by. The initial reports of the alleged Douma CW attack reported a dozen victims. Days later it rise to over 40z. Does that means it’s BS?
Face it. You are clutching at straws.
Yeah, you don’t have shit. Epic fail indeed.
A token attack?
Ansolutely. This was a face-saving attack to avoid a war with Russia as Putin stated he would retaliate severely if the strikes targeted Russian air defenses and military bases that are close to Syrian ones. The Syrian opposition wanted Trump to destroy the Syrian air force and bomb Assad’s palace. That didn’t happen.
It is obvious the allies reassured Russia beforehand that this would be a political, rather than a proper military strike, just to show western concern over the alleged use of chemical weapons.
The winners out of all this: Putin and Assad.
The big loser: Donald Trump.
“It looks like this was indeed a symbolic attack and not a serious effort to weaken Assad”
Just the opposite of what you and other conspiracy freaks told us until yesterday
Just the opposite of what you and other conspiracy freaks told us until yesterday
It’s also the opposite of what Trump, May, Macron and the US media were threatening.
First it is – “you shoot one missile and we take out your whole fleet and WWIII starts”. Then it becomes – “120 missiles are not enough, and Trump just wanted to let let us off the hook”. LMAO
Well make up your minds, Russian lousy propagandists.
First it is – we’re going to give Assad and Russia such a lesson that they will never do it again.
Then it became, here’s a slap on the wrist and don’t do it again or well slap your other wrist. 🙂