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How many people were slaughtered in barbaric attack on Syria

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How many people were slaughtered in barbaric attack on Syria

PostAuthor: Anthea » Thu Apr 12, 2018 11:32 pm

Britain pledges to ‘take action’ against Assad

    Theresa May has promised use of chemical weapons will not go 'unchallenged'
    The PM has said Britain will co-ordinate its response with the US and France
    Donald Trump has signalled that the US is ready to launch strikes against Syria

Theresa May's Cabinet today agreed to 'take action' to 'deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime'.

Britain will also act to alleviate 'humanitarian' suffering in Syria.

A Downing Street spokesman did not state what taking action would mean or on what what timescale it would happen.

Last night, Theresa May and Donald Trump spoke and agreed to work 'closely together' on a response.

Mrs May met her most senior ministers for two hours today and the new statement will raise expectations Britain will join coalition strikes against President Assad.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'Following a discussion in which every member present made a contribution, Cabinet agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged.

'Cabinet agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.

'Cabinet agreed the Prime Minister should continue to work with allies in the United States and France to coordinate an international response.'

Mrs May told her Cabinet that Saturday's gas attack in Douma was a 'shocking and barbaric act which killed up to 75 people, including children'.

The language is a new escalation from Mrs May, who yesterday said 'all indications' were the Assad regime is to blame.

Mrs May is thought to have ordered Royal Navy submarines carrying cruise missiles into range of Syria.

Britain also has squadrons of Tornado and Typhoon jets stationed Cyprus for the war against ISIS.

As expectation of strikes grows, the Cabinet agreed that the Assad regime has a 'track record of the use of chemical weapons' and after a two hour meeting concluded ' it is highly likely that the regime is responsible for Saturday's attack'.

No 10 later said Theresa May and President Trump agreed the use of the weapons should not go unchallenged, and that their future use should be deterred.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump about Syria this evening.

'They agreed that the Assad regime had established a pattern of dangerous behaviour in relation to the use of chemical weapons.

'They agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged, and on the need to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.

'They agreed to keep working closely together on the international response..'

Before summoning her ministers, Mrs May insisted the use of chemical weapons must not go unchallenged as calls for reprisals over the atrocity in Douma escalated.

Military chiefs are believed to have ordered British submarines armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles to move within range of Syria.

But a poll has suggested that the public is far from convinced about the military action - with just 22 per cent saying they are in favour and 43 per cent against.

And Mrs May is facing a mounting clamour from Jeremy Corbyn and other opposition parties to bring the issue before MPs. Some Tories including former chancellor Ken Clarke have also demanded a vote.

The situation took another dramatic turn today as Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on military reprisals.

Link to Full Article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... Syria.html

Syria would be a lot better off if other countries, such as Turkey, had not been helping ISIS and other countries had not provided armed militants with weapons.

As for the use of chemical weapons - I strongly believe they have been used several times by those wishing to remove Assad
X(
Last edited by Anthea on Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:18 am, edited 2 times in total.
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How many people were slaughtered in barbaric attack on Syria

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Re: Mad May pledges UK to ‘take action’ against Assad

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:07 am

Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

All signals indicate the West could launch an "attack" against Syria at any moment. But what made tensions rise and why we might be on the verge of a new phase of this war?

Since the beginning of the Syrian war, balances have been changed and redefined. Cards are changing hands and are being redistributed. Red lines are established, erased and redrawn.

The new pretext: the 7 April attack

The last reason brought on the table was the attack on Duma on April 7th. The UN Peacekeeping forces and the civil society organization named Syrian American Medical Society stated that the attack had allegedly killed more than 40 people who showed signs of "toxic gases”. Duma was the last area near Damascus where there were armed groups. That said, more than 500 people were allegedly affected by the gas. According to the denouncing organizations, the gases smelled similar to chlorine. It doesn’t seem possible to verify this information through independent sources.

The Syrian Human Rights Observatory does not confirm that such a chemical attack actually occurred, but says there are 70 cases reported of respiratory problems.

Western governments, particularly the US, accused the Damascus regime of using chemical weapons. Russia and Iran, which have an alliance with the Damascus regime, argued that this was yet another conspiracy and provocation.

APRIL 8: On April 8, US President Donald Trump called President al-Assad “an animal" and threatened he will "pay a heavy price". Trump also pointed to Russia and Iran as responsible.

The Moscow administration warned Washington about any “military intervention”, adding that “it will be met with an adequate response”. The Damascus regime made similar comments.

APRIL 9: On April 9, a military air strike was carried out in the Humus region and at least 14 people, 7 of them Iranian soldiers, died. Moscow, Tehran and Damascus blamed Israel for the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted talking of "provocations and speculation". Russian experts have revealed no evidence of a chemical attack in the Duma.

Washington then sent signals that they could launch a military attack at any moment. The US destroyer Donald Cook, carrying 60 Tomahawk, left the Larnaca port of Cyprus and settled near Syrian territorial waters.

APRIL 10: On April 10, the Syrian army was on high alert for the following three days. It transferred a great number of military forces and weapons from its airports and bases to Russian bases.

The same day, the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced that they would send a team to Syria. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for an impartial investigation and unrestricted access. US President Trump canceled his visit to Peru [where the Americas Summit is to begin on Friday] to formulate America's response to Syria.

Also on April 10, the French government said, "If the red line is crossed, expect an answer”. According to France, after President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump shared information, the use of chemical weapons is confirmed. President Macron explained that if Paris will act, the Damasco regime's chemical capacities will be targeted.

Alexander Zasypkin, Russia's ambassador to Lebanon, warned: "If the US attacked, we would respond by hitting their weaponry”. At the UN Security Council, Russia vetoed the United States decision to designate an independent investigation mechanism on the use of chemical weapons. Russia's two proposals did not get enough votes.

APRIL 11: On April 11, the US President challenged Russia on Twitter. Trump shared the following message: "Russia is swearing that any missile to be thrown into Syria will be hit. Prepare yourself Russia, because these missiles are super, new and intelligent. You should not be allied with an animal that gassed his own people and enjoyed it”.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also announced that they are ready to offer US President Trump military options. “Our intelligence services are still evaluating the information coming from our allies”, Mattis said.

The Kremlin stated that the use of chemical weapons in the Duma was a pretext to try and justify the use of force. The Russian army also announced that from Thursday it would deploy military police to Duma. Putin said: “The situation in the whole world is worrying, we hope that common sense will prevail." And added: "Russia wants to build relations with other countries on the basis of international legal laws”.

On April 11, another statement from Washington came. Sarah Sanders, the White House Spokeswoman, said: "All options are on the table". On the question of the US's possible response to the "chemical" attack, she added: "The final decisions has yet to be made”.

Who has what power?

Following these recent developments, "what goals", "which dangers” and "what possibilities" are the questions everybody asked.

Together with the American destroyer Donald Cook in the Mediterranean waters of Aquitaine is a French missile carrying ship. It is stated that these two ships can also get help from an American or British submarine. According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, British Prime Minister Theresa May ordered British submarines to enter the fire zone for Syria. Speaking to the BBC, sources said that May appears ready to take a decision on military intervention in Syria without parliamentary approval.

Various are the scenarios being spoken in France, one of the first country to issue a warn to Syria.

According to Le Figaro, once the green light is given, French war planes will leave from France, not from the bases in the Middle East. There are also questions about the impact capacity of France.

The war messages from the US are causing harsh reactions inside France. Years later, talks about the "red line" appeared again in France. This line was drawn by former US President Barack Obama in August 2012 and threatened with severe consequences Bashar Al-Assad, should he decided to use chemicals.

In August 2013, the US President renounced on launching air strikes against Syria, as this time Russia sent a file about chemical attacks. French President François Hollande, who said that he was ready to support the US at the time, said in an interview he gave to Le Monde newspaper recently: "I did not want to go alone”.

Five years later history repeats itself. Now the question is: Will Macron be ready to go a step further?

Which are the targets?

What targets will be hit in a possible attack? The super powers gave messages that Syria would be targeted in its chemical weapons producing structures. A number of air bases were suspected in Syria for chemical weapons replenishment. First of all the El Shayrat military base near Humus. This base was hit last year by the USA with 59 Tomahawk fuses.

In the past, the Israeli army bombed a branch of the Syrian Center for Scientific Research located near Mesyaf in the Tartus region. The US and Israel blamed this center of helping to develop sarin gas.

Speaking to AFP, Jennifer Cafarelle, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, noted that one of the possible targets might be the Dumer military airport, 40 kilometers northwest of Damascus. This is claimed to be the place where chemical weapons used for the attack on Duma last week, were coming from.

On Monday April 9th, Israeli forces bombed the T-4 military air force. Here were Syrian and Iranian forces and Hezbollah forces. According to Cafarella, the United States may be able to re-target it.

What dangers?

Should a military intervention actually happen the consequences are of a catastrophic scenario. Whether or not there will be such intervention, how will it be, what the results? At present, the parties seem ready to go to war at anytime.

Trump and Macron are getting ready to hit. Britain is reported to be ready.

In the face of a possible attack by these three powers, what will the Russians do? According to Didier Billion, a researcher at the International and Strategic Relations Institute, quoted in Le Parisian: “Russians could attack an American military target in Syrian territory. They have all the information in their hands”.

Billion added that a military command or communications center in Manbij could be targeted. Both sides have military capabilities that they can use against each other, but most experts believe that tension will not escalate.

Expert Bruno Tertrais said: "The last words said by Russians in their generally colder messages indicate that they are panicking because they do not know what to expect from such an unpredictable Trump. There is no reason why Putin should engage in a military confrontation with the United States”.

In this context tension may remain at a certain level. French President Macron also said that the French army would avoid Russian targets in Syria.

Experts do not hide their worries that a war can indeed begin at any minute, though they state that the situation today is different from that of the Cold War, and ultimately they do not expect a descent into a real war.
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Piling » Fri Apr 13, 2018 6:22 am

Syria is a mess. Whatever Coalition will do, it would be bad. It is Obama's fault to have refuse to attack Assad in 2011, when the first chemical bombing happened, as the French President Hollande required.

Now it is too late, Syrians are torn between an Alawi butcher and Jihadist butchers.
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 13, 2018 2:04 pm

Piling wrote:Syria is a mess. Whatever Coalition will do, it would be bad. It is Obama's fault to have refuse to attack Assad in 2011, when the first chemical bombing happened, as the French President Hollande required.

Now it is too late, Syrians are torn between an Alawi butcher and Jihadist butchers.


I have NEVER been convinced that Assad is as bad as he has been painted

So many lies and so much propaganda comes from Syria that I strongly suspect only about 5% of the information coming from there is factual X(

I still remember what happened in Homs - the peaceful anti-government protests - the young singer - the armed rebels (totally unknown and unconnected to the area) who were sponsored and supplied by unknown sources and moved into Homs, turning a peaceful protest into an armed conflict X(

I remember that the coalition spent many months FAILING to prevent ISIS from trading oil across the border into Turkey and thus enabling it's growth :-?
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 13, 2018 2:12 pm

Russia says Syrian 'chemical attack' was staged

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a reported chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents.

The US and France have said they have proof it took place, and, alongside the UK, they are considering launching military retaliation against Syria.

Russia, a Syrian ally, has warned the US that air strikes risk a new war.

Independent chemical weapons inspectors are en route to the Eastern Ghouta area to look for evidence. They are expected to arrive on Saturday.

During a press briefing on Friday, Mr Lavrov said he had "irrefutable evidence" that the attack was staged as part of a "Russophobic campaign" led by one country, which he did not name.

Russia has requested a United Nations meeting in New York later in the day, but this has not yet been confirmed.

The White House says it is continuing to assess intelligence and talk to its allies on how to respond.

The delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will start its investigations on Saturday, but, to ensure their safety, few details are expected to be released about their movements.

Why is the West considering military action?

The call for action comes after a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, which killed dozens of people, according to opposition activists, rescue workers and medics.

Chemical weapons attacks are suspected to have taken place in Syria before. Last year, the US launched a retaliatory strike after one was said to have taken place in Khan Sheikhoun.

President Bashar al-Assad's government - which receives military backing from Russia - has denied involvement in any chemical attack, calling the reports "fabricated".

After six weeks of heavy fighting and an estimated 1,700 civilian deaths in the Eastern Ghouta region, the Syrian government is now said to have control of the area, which lies just outside Damascus.

The final evacuations of about 4,000 remaining Islamist fighters and civilians continued on Friday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organisation.

Is there proof of the recent 'chemical attack'?

The Violations Documentation Center (VDC), which records alleged violations of international law in Syria, said bodies were found foaming at the mouth, and with discoloured skin and burns to the eyes.

On Thursday, unnamed US officials said they had blood and urine samples from victims which had tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent, according to NBC News.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hayley, told the network: "We definitely have enough proof, but now we just have to be thoughtful in our action."

French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had "proof" that the Syrian government had attacked Douma with chemical weapons, without giving further details.

In the UK, cabinet ministers agreed that it was "highly likely" the Assad regime was responsible for the alleged attack and said the use of chemical weapons must not "go unchallenged".

During a phone call late on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump agreed on the need to deter chemical weapon use in Syria.

They agreed to "keep working closely" on the issue, Mrs May's office said in a statement.

What has Trump said about the attack?

On Sunday, the day after the attack, the US president said Russian President Vladimir Putin bore responsibility for the "atrocity" in rebel-held Douma, because of his support for the Syrian government.

Mr Trump, who has cancelled a planned trip abroad, has been canvassing support for strikes from the leaders of France and the UK.

On Wednesday he said the missiles were "coming", but on Thursday he tweeted that he had "never said when". It "could be very soon or not so soon at all", he said.

He later told reporters at the White House: "We're having a meeting today on Syria... We have to make some further decisions. So they'll be made fairly soon."

Also on Thursday, US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis told a congressional panel: "I believe there was a chemical attack and we are looking for the actual evidence."

What is Russia's position?

Russia has described the reports of a chemical attack as a "provocation" designed to justify Western intervention.

"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday.

He accused Washington of putting international peace at risk and said the situation was "very dangerous".

Senior Russian figures, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat.

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich criticised Mr Trump's rhetoric.

"We cannot depend on the mood of someone on the other side of the ocean when he wakes up," the Tass news agency quoted him as saying.

922

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43747922

Russian could well be right B-)
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Piling » Fri Apr 13, 2018 4:34 pm

I have NEVER been convinced that Assad is as bad as he has been painted


Assad is the Saddam of Syrian people.

But now, as all moderate politicians and secular militias had been crushed by Jihadist scum coming from everywhere, there is no good side among Arab fighters.
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:59 pm

I find Assad rather mild when compared with all the COUNTLESS groups and factions within Syria

I believe there are a great many questions that remain unanswered, including things that I have mentioned previously such as:

Which organisation/political faction/country, was behind the armed rebels who entered Homs and turned a peaceful protest into an armed conflict which has been responsible for the death of THOUSANDS of innocent people and caused the armed conflict to expand exponentially? X(

Why, at the beginning of the coalition's involvement in Syria, was no attempt made to prevent the oil trade between ISIS and other countries, especially the trade through Turkey? X(

Prior to Russia's attack on the ISIS oil convoys, ISIS was extremely wealthy and able to pay well above local wages, which also helped ISIS world-wide recruitment and the purchase of many weapons that other countries were happy to sell them :shock:

Why, has there never been a concerted effort to prevent weapons entering Syria? X(

Why, has there not been an international outcry against Turkey's invasion of Syria? X(
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Apr 14, 2018 12:36 am

Only a few months ago Turkey accused Kurdish forces of using chemical weapons against Syrian rebels trying to oust them from a northwestern enclave of control in Syria.

A Twitter account affiliated with Turkey’s so-called Operation Olive Branch in Syria claimed Tuesday that forces affiliated with the Democratic Union Party (PYD)—a leading Syrian Kurdish political party that commands the armed and U.S.-backed People’s Protection Units (YPG)—fired a mortar shell containing toxic chlorine gas at Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) insurgents in northern Afrin, injuring up to 20. The Syrian military and rebels have both been accused of using chemical weapons throughout the nearly seven-year conflict, but such charges against the Kurds were rare.

http://www.newsweek.com/turkey-says-us- ... ria-800529
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:03 am

A year ago there was a similar attack in Syria and at that time the media was filled with speculation, lies and propaganda :-?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39500947

In fact, there have been a number of such attacks over recent years and almost every group has been both victim and perpetrator of such attacks :-\
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:19 am

I still feel exactly the same as I did 2 years ago

If Assad goes who will take control of Syria?

Without Assad Syria will become even more of a bloodbath X(

The strongest group in Syria is Al Nusra :shock:

Al Nusra are the main rebel group and they have the advantage being able to link with, and work with, almost all other rebel and jihadist groups

Perhaps US will try and put in a puppet ruler (something they have frequently done in the past) X(

Big problem is far too many non-Syrians fighting for control

Other problems include:
Rebel groups being funded and supplied by other countries
Weapons and fighters still crossing the borders into Syria
A world that thinks it is far better to remove the Syrian population than stop the fighting
A world that would rather spend money on bombing than rebuilding - see Kobane :((
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Piling » Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:00 am

Without Assad Syria will become even more of a bloodbath X(


It is already a bloodbath. Now, targeting Damascus and not Ankara is a such hypocrisy.
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:04 pm

Piling wrote:It is already a bloodbath. Now, targeting Damascus and not Ankara is a such hypocrisy.


I cannot understand how everyone ignores Turkey's invasion of Syria X(
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Re: Syria: who could do what? What the dangers?

PostAuthor: Anthea » Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:16 am

Syria air strikes: US still 'locked and loaded' for new attacks

President Donald Trump has warned Syria's government the US is "locked and loaded" to strike again if it carries out new chemical attacks.

The warning came after the US, UK and France struck three Syrian sites in response to a suspected deadly chemical attack in the town of Douma a week ago.

Syria denies any chemical use and says that attack was fabricated by rebels. Probably True

A UN Security Council vote brought by Syria's ally, Russia, and condemning the US-led strikes was rejected.

The wave of strikes represents the most significant attack against President Bashar al-Assad's government by Western powers in seven years of Syria's civil war.

What has been the reaction to the strikes? FURY

There was a bitter exchange at a UN Security Council emergency meeting on Saturday as Russia sought to secure a condemnation of the early morning air strikes by Western powers.

Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, read out a quote from President Vladimir Putin accusing the allies of "cynical disdain" in acting
without waiting for the results of a chemical watchdog investigation into the Douma incident.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) are currently in Damascus and are expected to visit Douma this weekend.

Mr Nebenzia accused the US, UK and France of "hooliganism" and of "demonstrating a blatant disregard for international law". TRUE

US envoy Nikki Haley said the strikes were "justified, legitimate and proportionate".

She said: "I spoke to the president this morning and he said, 'if the Syrian regime uses this poisonous gas again, the United States is locked and loaded'."

She added: "When our president draws a red line, our president enforces the red line."

Ms Haley said the US and its allies had given diplomacy "chance after chance" but Russia had continued to veto UN resolutions.

She said: "We cannot stand by and let Russia trash every international norm and allow use of chemical weapons to go unanswered."

Can Trump walk away after air strikes?

Bashar Jaafari, Syria's envoy to the UN, said the US, UK and France were "liars, spoilers and hypocrites" who exploited the UN "to pursue your policy of interference and colonialism".

On the 15-member council only China and Bolivia voted in favour of Russia's resolution.

Other reaction included:

    UK PM Theresa May said there was "no practicable alternative to the use of force" but also added the strikes were not about "regime change"
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the strikes were "appropriate" in retaliation for "inhumane" Syrian attacks
    Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his "total support" for the air strikes
    Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the US was trying "to justify their presence in the region"
    China said it opposed the use of force and that there could only be a political solution to the Syrian conflict

What did President Trump say?

He tweeted early on Saturday, hailing the strikes as "perfectly executed". He also thanked the UK and France.
Skip Twitter post by @realDonaldTrump

    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

Mr Trump had announced the strikes on TV on Friday night, saying the three allies had "marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality".

I find the attack on Syria to be barbaric

He spoke to Mrs May and French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone on Saturday, agreeing the operation had been a success.
Where was hit?

At a Pentagon briefing on Saturday, Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie listed the three targets that had been struck, saying the attacks had "set the Syrian chemical weapons programme back years":

The Barzah chemical weapons research and development centre near Damascus was hit by 76 missiles, 57 of them Tomahawk cruise missiles, and "destroyed"
The Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage facility near Homs was hit by 22 missiles - nine US Tomahawks, eight British Storm Shadows and five naval cruise missiles and two Scalp cruise missiles launched by France
The Him Shinshar chemical weapons bunker facility near Homs was targeted with seven Scalp missiles and was "successfully hit"

Gen McKenzie said the "initial indications are that we accomplished the military objectives without interference from Syria".
Media captionGen Kenneth McKenzie: "We deployed 105 weapons"

He said "none of the aircraft or missiles were successfully engaged" by defence systems and all aircraft had returned.

Gen McKenzie said about 40 Syrian defence missiles were fired, mostly after the targets were hit.

The Pentagon briefing conflicted with information given at a Russian defence ministry briefing, which said 103 cruise missiles had been launched and 71 were shot down by Syrian systems.

Both the Russians and the US said there were no reported casualties. Syria says three people were hurt near Homs.
Media caption"Rumbling like thunder": A CBS reporter in Damascus witnessed the start of the strikes

The US said it had communicated with Russia ahead of the strikes through the normal procedures of their "deconfliction" hotline but no details of the attacks were given.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43771840
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Nationality: Kurd by heart


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