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| Version 33 | Version 34 |
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| Syria bombing: US says Russia bears responsibility for Assad's gas attack – as it happened | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 10.36pm BST | |
| 22:36 | |
| Summary | |
| We’re going to close our rolling coverage of the first direct military strikes by the US against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, in what Donald Trump described as necessary retaliation for a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians, including children, earlier this week. | |
| Fifty-nine Tomahawk missiles, launched before dawn from warships in the eastern Mediterranean, threatened hopes for Russian-American rapprochement just ahead of the first major meeting between Washington, which has armed anti-Assad rebels, and Moscow, which has held Assad up against them. | |
| Secretary of state Rex Tillerson will travel to Moscow on Tuesday, just three days after the US ambassador to the UN said Russia shouldered blame in the chemical weapons attack. | |
| Donald Trump ordered the attacks on Thursday afternoon and the strikes took place at about 7.40pm local time while he had dinner in south Florida with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Afterward Trump told the American people it is in their “vital national security interest” to “prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons”. | |
| The Pentagon alerted Russian military counterparts to minimize the risk of conflict. A spokesman said the strike appeared to have “severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft”. Russian authorities disputed the claim, saying many missiles missed their targets. By Friday afternoon the base was already launching flights again, according to AFP. | |
| The American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US “took a very measured step” and “we are prepared to do more”. She added that Iran and Russia bore “heavy responsibility” for the chemical attack, either by allowing Assad to use such weapons or through “incompetent” oversight of their ally’s obligations. “The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar al-Assad,” she said. “The United States will no longer wait.” | |
| A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the US had violated international law “under a false pretext”, and UN deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, warned “extremely serious” consequences could follow the strike. The prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, said the action “completely ruined relations”. Russia’s military announced it would bolster Assad’s air defenses, and it was not clear whether it would cut off the “deconfliction” hotline it uses to avoid clashes between US and Russian forces. | |
| Assad’s office said the strike was “foolish and irresponsible” and promised to redouble its efforts against rebels. His ambassador to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, claimed on Friday that “a number of martyrs, including women and children” were killed by the attack. An unnamed Syrian official told the AP that at least seven people were killed and nine wounded. Jaafari also claimed that the Syrian government had no chemical weapons. | |
| Syrian rebels welcomed the strike and called for more. “Hitting one airbase is not enough – there are 26 airbases that target civilians,” a key figure in the Army of Islam faction, Mohamed Alloush, said on Twitter. “The whole world should save the Syrian people from the clutches of the killer Bashar and his aides.” | |
| The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said the strikes did not indicate a shift in US policy toward Syria, even though a few days earlier American diplomats had said Assad’s ouster was no longer a priority. The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the strikes had a limited intent – to deter chemical weapons – and were of a piece with Trump’s so-called “America first” policy. | |
| The UK, Australia, Israel and Saudi Arabia were among the US allies that voiced support for the strikes, while Italy and Japan said they understood the action. | |
| The US military strikes against the Syrian airbase had no “direct consequence” on aid operations in Syria, said the UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs, Jens Laerke. A UN human rights office spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said on Friday at a UN briefing that the use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would amount to a war crime. | |
| Updated | |
| at 10.38pm BST | |
| 10.20pm BST | |
| 22:20 | |
| Members of Congress, led in part by representative John Conyers, have questioned the legality of the president’s decision to launch missiles against Bashar al-Assad. The concern follows a burst of support for the strikes – from Republican and Democratic leaders alike – on the night they were ordered. | |
| Conyers has released a statement: | |
| “There is no question that the United States must do more to relieve the suffering of the civilians trapped in Syria’s civil war. | |
| “But before we can debate the wisdom of a single unilateral strike on a Syrian air field, President Trump must answer a number of threshold answers: | |
| “First, what is the legal basis for the President’s military intervention in Syria? The President is bound by the US Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and the international laws of armed conflict—but Congress has never authorized military action against the Assad regime, and the President took this action without approval by the United Nations or any claim of self-defense. | |
| “Second, what is the President’s plan for Syria going forward? For years, Donald Trump warned President Obama not to get involved in Syria. The central theme of his campaign was ‘America First.’ He is not empowered to commit our troops to a new war on a whim, however brutal the actions of President Assad. | |
| “Finally, how does President Trump reconcile this action with the other policies of his Administration? Like the President, I am haunted by the images of the children who have been murdered in this civil war. Like many of my colleagues, I wonder if the President understands that the refugees he hopes to ban from entry to the United States seek shelter from the same conflict. | |
| “I join with Leader Pelosi in her request to reconvene the House immediately to demand answers to these questions.” | |
| Trump did not have clear authority under international law to order the strikes, according to law professors and attorneys. | |
| 10.09pm BST | |
| 22:09 | |
| Tillerson has called Russia’s reaction to the US missile strikes “very disappointing” but “not all that surprising”, the AP reports, after the secretary of state spoke briefly with reporters at the south Florida summit with a Chinese delegation staying at Donald Trump’s resort, Mar-a-Lago. | |
| The Kremlin condemned the strike as an “act of aggression” against a sovereign state, and a violation of international law. At the UN, Russia’s representative said the security council should condemn air strikes in Iraq, by the US-led coalition, that had killed scores of civilians last month, and that the US had not shown proof that Syria was responsible for the chemical weapons. | |
| According to the AP, Tillerson said that Russia’s reaction shows that nation’s continued support for a regime that “carries out these types of horrendous attacks on their own people.” | |
| 10.03pm BST | 10.03pm BST |
| 22:03 | 22:03 |
| The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has reiterated the message that UN ambassador Nikki Haley gave to the security council earlier on Friday: Russia bears responsibility for last week’s chemical weapons attack by Bashar al-Assad’s forces. | The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has reiterated the message that UN ambassador Nikki Haley gave to the security council earlier on Friday: Russia bears responsibility for last week’s chemical weapons attack by Bashar al-Assad’s forces. |
| Russia and Syria have claimed that the US has jumped to conclusions and does not actually know who was responsible for the attack, although Pentagon officials have said they watched, on radar, warplanes carry out the strikes from Shayrat airbase onto the town of Khan Sheikhun. | Russia and Syria have claimed that the US has jumped to conclusions and does not actually know who was responsible for the attack, although Pentagon officials have said they watched, on radar, warplanes carry out the strikes from Shayrat airbase onto the town of Khan Sheikhun. |
| Tillerson: Russia has failed in its responsibility to deliver on the 2013 CW commitment. So either Russia has been complicit or incompetent. pic.twitter.com/0staywFdGY | Tillerson: Russia has failed in its responsibility to deliver on the 2013 CW commitment. So either Russia has been complicit or incompetent. pic.twitter.com/0staywFdGY |
| 9.35pm BST | 9.35pm BST |
| 21:35 | 21:35 |
| Before Donald Trump decided that the US should retaliate against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, he frequently argued that the United States has little responsibility, if any, to take any action in Syria. | Before Donald Trump decided that the US should retaliate against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, he frequently argued that the United States has little responsibility, if any, to take any action in Syria. |
| In 2013 and 2014, he repeatedly said that Barack Obama would be “very foolish” to take military action in Syria. “Syria is NOT our problem,” he wrote in May 2013. | In 2013 and 2014, he repeatedly said that Barack Obama would be “very foolish” to take military action in Syria. “Syria is NOT our problem,” he wrote in May 2013. |
| In August: “How bad has our “leader” made us look on Syria. Stay out of Syria, we don’t have the leadership to win wars or even strategize.” | In August: “How bad has our “leader” made us look on Syria. Stay out of Syria, we don’t have the leadership to win wars or even strategize.” |
| Followed by: “What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.” | Followed by: “What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.” |
| Trump has not gained congressional approval for the missile strikes he ordered on Thursday night. | Trump has not gained congressional approval for the missile strikes he ordered on Thursday night. |
| In September: “President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your “powder” for another (and more important) day!” | In September: “President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your “powder” for another (and more important) day!” |
| “Do NOT attack Syria, fix USA,” he continued. “What I am saying is stay out of Syria.” | “Do NOT attack Syria, fix USA,” he continued. “What I am saying is stay out of Syria.” |
| 9.13pm BST | 9.13pm BST |
| 21:13 | 21:13 |
| HR McMaster, the national security adviser for Donald Trump who replaced Michael Flynn, was central to the decision to attack the Syrian airbase near Homs, according to my colleagues Spencer Ackerman and Ewen MacAskill. | HR McMaster, the national security adviser for Donald Trump who replaced Michael Flynn, was central to the decision to attack the Syrian airbase near Homs, according to my colleagues Spencer Ackerman and Ewen MacAskill. |
| McMaster was posted in 2005 at the town of Tal Afar, which was held by jihadi forces near the Syrian border. Then a colonel “and an unorthodox military thinker”, they write, McMaster immersed himself in Iraqi culture and tried to portray the US “not as an occupier, but a protector of the town’s 150,000 inhabitants”. | McMaster was posted in 2005 at the town of Tal Afar, which was held by jihadi forces near the Syrian border. Then a colonel “and an unorthodox military thinker”, they write, McMaster immersed himself in Iraqi culture and tried to portray the US “not as an occupier, but a protector of the town’s 150,000 inhabitants”. |
| But he combined this “hearts and minds” approach with tough, disciplined military engagement. He had a large sand berm built around the town to control entry and exit, and retook neighbourhoods house by house. The list of names on a memorial in the middle of the base testified to the high casualty rate among his Third Armoured Cavalry Regiment. | But he combined this “hearts and minds” approach with tough, disciplined military engagement. He had a large sand berm built around the town to control entry and exit, and retook neighbourhoods house by house. The list of names on a memorial in the middle of the base testified to the high casualty rate among his Third Armoured Cavalry Regiment. |
| The strategy applied in Tal Afar – to take the local population with you and, when a decision to use military force is made, go in hard – came to be adopted by the US military across Iraq in 2007, an expansion of American forces that became known as the Iraqi “surge”. | The strategy applied in Tal Afar – to take the local population with you and, when a decision to use military force is made, go in hard – came to be adopted by the US military across Iraq in 2007, an expansion of American forces that became known as the Iraqi “surge”. |
| McMaster, 54, was born in Philadelphia, and in part rose to his service in 1991, when he led nine tanks against an estimated 80 tanks and vehicles under Saddam Hussein’s military – the American tanks destroyed them inferior Iraqi vehicles, with no US casualties. Later in the decade McMaster wrote a book, Dereliction of Duty, that condemned the failures of American leadership in Vietnam, in particular, in his view, compromises that doomed the war effort. | McMaster, 54, was born in Philadelphia, and in part rose to his service in 1991, when he led nine tanks against an estimated 80 tanks and vehicles under Saddam Hussein’s military – the American tanks destroyed them inferior Iraqi vehicles, with no US casualties. Later in the decade McMaster wrote a book, Dereliction of Duty, that condemned the failures of American leadership in Vietnam, in particular, in his view, compromises that doomed the war effort. |
| People close to McMaster say that an early priority for the three-star general was to marginalise Bannon and re-empower the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and director of national intelligence, whose places on the principals’ committee of the national security council Bannon had taken. At a stroke, McMaster accomplished that this week, establishing his supremacy over the homeland security and economic councils for good measure, and cementing his alliances with joint chiefs chairman General Joe Dunford and intelligence chief Dan Coats. | People close to McMaster say that an early priority for the three-star general was to marginalise Bannon and re-empower the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and director of national intelligence, whose places on the principals’ committee of the national security council Bannon had taken. At a stroke, McMaster accomplished that this week, establishing his supremacy over the homeland security and economic councils for good measure, and cementing his alliances with joint chiefs chairman General Joe Dunford and intelligence chief Dan Coats. |
| McMaster’s camp has been crowing about their man’s victory. They point to a critical behind-the-scenes ally: defence secretary James Mattis, who has played a similar role to McMaster at the Pentagon and strikes similar notes on hostility towards Russia, openness to Nato and reassurance to South Korea and Japan. | McMaster’s camp has been crowing about their man’s victory. They point to a critical behind-the-scenes ally: defence secretary James Mattis, who has played a similar role to McMaster at the Pentagon and strikes similar notes on hostility towards Russia, openness to Nato and reassurance to South Korea and Japan. |
| Both men are positioning themselves as reliable points of contact to US allies confused by the mercurial Trump, but without contradicting the president directly. | Both men are positioning themselves as reliable points of contact to US allies confused by the mercurial Trump, but without contradicting the president directly. |
| You can read more about McMaster, and the ultimate fate of Tal Afar, through the link below. | You can read more about McMaster, and the ultimate fate of Tal Afar, through the link below. |
| 8.31pm BST | 8.31pm BST |
| 20:31 | 20:31 |
| What we know | What we know |
| Early Friday morning local time from warships in the eastern Mediterranean, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian government airfield near Homs, in retaliation for a Syrian chemical weapons attack earlier this week that killed dozens of civilians, including children. | Early Friday morning local time from warships in the eastern Mediterranean, the United States launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian government airfield near Homs, in retaliation for a Syrian chemical weapons attack earlier this week that killed dozens of civilians, including children. |
| The missiles were the first direct attack against President Bashar al-Assad over six years of Syria’s civil war, after years warnings over humanitarian abuses, including bombing hospitals and the use of the sarin nerve agent and chlorine gas. | The missiles were the first direct attack against President Bashar al-Assad over six years of Syria’s civil war, after years warnings over humanitarian abuses, including bombing hospitals and the use of the sarin nerve agent and chlorine gas. |
| Donald Trump ordered the attacks on Thursday afternoon, en route to a south Florida summit with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. The strikes took place at about 7.40pm local time while the presidents had dinner. Afterward Trump told the American people it is in their “vital national security interest” to “prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons”. | Donald Trump ordered the attacks on Thursday afternoon, en route to a south Florida summit with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. The strikes took place at about 7.40pm local time while the presidents had dinner. Afterward Trump told the American people it is in their “vital national security interest” to “prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons”. |
| The Pentagon alerted Russian military counterparts to minimize the risk of conflict. A spokesman said the strike appeared to have “severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft” and reduced their ability to use chemical weapons. Russian authorities disputed the claim, saying many missiles missed their targets. By Friday afternoon the base was already launching flights again, according to AFP. | The Pentagon alerted Russian military counterparts to minimize the risk of conflict. A spokesman said the strike appeared to have “severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft” and reduced their ability to use chemical weapons. Russian authorities disputed the claim, saying many missiles missed their targets. By Friday afternoon the base was already launching flights again, according to AFP. |
| The American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US “took a very measured step” but “we are prepared to do more”, should Assad use chemical weapons again. She added that Iran and Russia bore “heavy responsibility” for the chemical attack, either by allowing Assad to use such weapons or “incompetent” oversight of their ally’s obligations. “The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar al-Assad,” she said. “The United States will no longer wait.” | The American ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the US “took a very measured step” but “we are prepared to do more”, should Assad use chemical weapons again. She added that Iran and Russia bore “heavy responsibility” for the chemical attack, either by allowing Assad to use such weapons or “incompetent” oversight of their ally’s obligations. “The world is waiting for Russia to reconsider its misplaced alliance with Bashar al-Assad,” she said. “The United States will no longer wait.” |
| A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the US had violated international law “under a false pretext”, and UN deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, warned “extremely serious” consequences could follow the strike. The prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, said the action was unjustified and “completely ruined relations”. Russia’s military announced it would bolster Assad’s air defenses, but it was not clear whether it would cut off the “deconfliction” hotline it uses to avoid clashes between US and Russian forces. | A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the US had violated international law “under a false pretext”, and UN deputy ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, warned “extremely serious” consequences could follow the strike. The prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, said the action was unjustified and “completely ruined relations”. Russia’s military announced it would bolster Assad’s air defenses, but it was not clear whether it would cut off the “deconfliction” hotline it uses to avoid clashes between US and Russian forces. |
| Assad’s office said the strike was “foolish and irresponsible” and promised to redouble its efforts against rebels. His ambassador to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, claimed on Friday that “a number of martyrs, including women and children” were killed by the attack. An unnamed Syrian official told the AP that at least seven people were killed and nine wounded. Jaafari also claimed that the Syrian government had no chemical weapons. | Assad’s office said the strike was “foolish and irresponsible” and promised to redouble its efforts against rebels. His ambassador to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, claimed on Friday that “a number of martyrs, including women and children” were killed by the attack. An unnamed Syrian official told the AP that at least seven people were killed and nine wounded. Jaafari also claimed that the Syrian government had no chemical weapons. |
| Syrian rebels welcomed the strike and called for more. “Hitting one airbase is not enough – there are 26 airbases that target civilians,” a key figure in the Army of Islam faction, Mohamed Alloush, said on Twitter. “The whole world should save the Syrian people from the clutches of the killer Bashar and his aides.” | Syrian rebels welcomed the strike and called for more. “Hitting one airbase is not enough – there are 26 airbases that target civilians,” a key figure in the Army of Islam faction, Mohamed Alloush, said on Twitter. “The whole world should save the Syrian people from the clutches of the killer Bashar and his aides.” |
| The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said the strikes did not indicate a shift in US policy toward Syria, even though a few days earlier American diplomats had said Assad’s ouster was no longer a priority. The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the strikes had a limited intent – to deter chemical weapons – and were of a piece with Trump’s so-called “America first” policy. | The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said the strikes did not indicate a shift in US policy toward Syria, even though a few days earlier American diplomats had said Assad’s ouster was no longer a priority. The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said the strikes had a limited intent – to deter chemical weapons – and were of a piece with Trump’s so-called “America first” policy. |
| The UK, Australia, Israel and Saudi Arabia were among the US allies that voiced support for the strikes, while Italy and Japan said they understood the action. | The UK, Australia, Israel and Saudi Arabia were among the US allies that voiced support for the strikes, while Italy and Japan said they understood the action. |
| The UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs, Jens Laerke, says it had no sign that US military strikes against the Syrian airbase had had “any direct consequence” on overall aid operations in Syria. A UN human rights office spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said on Friday at a UN briefing that the use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would amount to a war crime. | The UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs, Jens Laerke, says it had no sign that US military strikes against the Syrian airbase had had “any direct consequence” on overall aid operations in Syria. A UN human rights office spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, said on Friday at a UN briefing that the use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would amount to a war crime. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.37pm BST | at 9.37pm BST |
| 8.08pm BST | 8.08pm BST |
| 20:08 | 20:08 |
| The airbase attacked on Thursday night by the United States is already launching new flights, according to Agence France-Presse, citing a group that monitors the Syrian civil war. | The airbase attacked on Thursday night by the United States is already launching new flights, according to Agence France-Presse, citing a group that monitors the Syrian civil war. |
| AFP reports: | AFP reports: |
| The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two warplanes “took off from inside the Shayrat base, which is partially back in service, and struck targets near Palmyra”. | The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two warplanes “took off from inside the Shayrat base, which is partially back in service, and struck targets near Palmyra”. |
| The monitor could not specify whether they were Syrian or Russian planes, or what they had bombed. | The monitor could not specify whether they were Syrian or Russian planes, or what they had bombed. |
| Early on Friday morning, the US military fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat air field in response to a suspected chemical attack this week that has been widely blamed on the Damascus regime. | Early on Friday morning, the US military fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat air field in response to a suspected chemical attack this week that has been widely blamed on the Damascus regime. |
| A Syrian military source told AFP that Syria’s armed forces were warned about possible US military action hours before the strike took place. | A Syrian military source told AFP that Syria’s armed forces were warned about possible US military action hours before the strike took place. |
| “We took precautions in more than one military point, including in the Shayrat airbase. We moved a number of airplanes towards other areas,” the source said. | “We took precautions in more than one military point, including in the Shayrat airbase. We moved a number of airplanes towards other areas,” the source said. |
| US officials said Russia’s military in Syria had been informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis. | US officials said Russia’s military in Syria had been informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis. |
| The US said the missiles targeted radars, aircraft, and air defence systems and destroyed around 20 Syrian planes, but said the runway was intact. | The US said the missiles targeted radars, aircraft, and air defence systems and destroyed around 20 Syrian planes, but said the runway was intact. |
| Russia’s military said the strike had an “extremely low” military impact, with fewer than half of the 59 missiles reaching the airbase. | Russia’s military said the strike had an “extremely low” military impact, with fewer than half of the 59 missiles reaching the airbase. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.24pm BST | at 8.24pm BST |
| 7.25pm BST | 7.25pm BST |
| 19:25 | 19:25 |
| The Pentagon has confirmed that it alerted Russian military counterparts about the strikes through a hotline, but the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has said that there was no political contact with the Kremlin. | The Pentagon has confirmed that it alerted Russian military counterparts about the strikes through a hotline, but the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has said that there was no political contact with the Kremlin. |
| Spicer also told reporters that Trump’s attitude toward Syria had “evolved” over his 78 days in office, especially thanks to the “clear images that were available” and “that everybody in the world could see”. | Spicer also told reporters that Trump’s attitude toward Syria had “evolved” over his 78 days in office, especially thanks to the “clear images that were available” and “that everybody in the world could see”. |
| “It was very disturbing and tragic and moving to him,” Spicer said. “ “He had a very deliberative process of asking his national security team to develop options.” | “It was very disturbing and tragic and moving to him,” Spicer said. “ “He had a very deliberative process of asking his national security team to develop options.” |
| Spicer insisted that the intent of the actions were limited in scope: a message that Bashar al-Assad “should abide by the agreement they made not to use chemical weapons”. | Spicer insisted that the intent of the actions were limited in scope: a message that Bashar al-Assad “should abide by the agreement they made not to use chemical weapons”. |
| The press secretary also invoked support from allies to tamp down concern that the missile strikes could further entangle nations in a bloody, chaotic civil war. | The press secretary also invoked support from allies to tamp down concern that the missile strikes could further entangle nations in a bloody, chaotic civil war. |
| “If you’ve seen the response from the world community,” Spicer said, “they understand that the US acted appropriately and in most cases there is widespread praise from around the globe for the president’s actions.” | “If you’ve seen the response from the world community,” Spicer said, “they understand that the US acted appropriately and in most cases there is widespread praise from around the globe for the president’s actions.” |
| He said the US strikes did not preclude its willingness to work with Russia on counter-terrorism operations – though Russia and Syria have described all anti-Assad rebels, whether jihadi or not, as terrorists. | He said the US strikes did not preclude its willingness to work with Russia on counter-terrorism operations – though Russia and Syria have described all anti-Assad rebels, whether jihadi or not, as terrorists. |
| “There can be a shared commitment to defeat Isis and also agree that you can’t gas your own people,” Spicer said. “I think this was a clear response on humanitarian purposes that has been widely praised.” | “There can be a shared commitment to defeat Isis and also agree that you can’t gas your own people,” Spicer said. “I think this was a clear response on humanitarian purposes that has been widely praised.” |
| Finally, he said that Trump’s meetings with Xi Jinping were going well. “We’re in the midst of a very terrific visit.” | Finally, he said that Trump’s meetings with Xi Jinping were going well. “We’re in the midst of a very terrific visit.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.36pm BST | at 8.36pm BST |
| 7.16pm BST | 7.16pm BST |
| 19:16 | 19:16 |
| Missiles were launched during Donald Trump’s dinner with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has told reporters. | Missiles were launched during Donald Trump’s dinner with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, has told reporters. |
| At a quick briefing in south Florida, Spicer gave some details of the timeline to the airstrikes, and how they relate to Trump’s policy. The press pool reports: | At a quick briefing in south Florida, Spicer gave some details of the timeline to the airstrikes, and how they relate to Trump’s policy. The press pool reports: |
| Trump first heard about the gas attack in Syria at his president’s daily briefing on Tuesday at about 10.30am. He asked his team for a range of options. There was another meeting at 8pm on Tuesday at the White House on options and again on Wednesday morning with restricted principals. | Trump first heard about the gas attack in Syria at his president’s daily briefing on Tuesday at about 10.30am. He asked his team for a range of options. There was another meeting at 8pm on Tuesday at the White House on options and again on Wednesday morning with restricted principals. |
| Trump met again at 3pm on Wednesday and decided to reconvene on Thursday for a decision. On route to Florida on Thursday, at about 1.30pm, he spoke through secured video conference with his team and again at 4pm with [secretary of state] Rex Tillerson and others in a secure room in Palm Beach. | Trump met again at 3pm on Wednesday and decided to reconvene on Thursday for a decision. On route to Florida on Thursday, at about 1.30pm, he spoke through secured video conference with his team and again at 4pm with [secretary of state] Rex Tillerson and others in a secure room in Palm Beach. |
| That’s when the “president gave the OK to move ahead”. | That’s when the “president gave the OK to move ahead”. |
| Missiles were launched at 7:40pm during dinner. | Missiles were launched at 7:40pm during dinner. |
| Foreign leaders and members of Congress were told at about 8.30pm, Spicer said, and Trump told Xi about the strikes during dinner. Afterward he met with the secretaries of state and defense and spoke with the joint chiefs, as they discussed what Spicer called an “evolving process”. | Foreign leaders and members of Congress were told at about 8.30pm, Spicer said, and Trump told Xi about the strikes during dinner. Afterward he met with the secretaries of state and defense and spoke with the joint chiefs, as they discussed what Spicer called an “evolving process”. |
| Although the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that the US was “prepared” to do more strikes, Spicer said the president was “not going to telegraph his next move”. | Although the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that the US was “prepared” to do more strikes, Spicer said the president was “not going to telegraph his next move”. |
| He insisted that the strikes were “justified and proportional”, motivated by national security of the region and humanitarian concerns, and that the decision “absolutely” squares with Trump’s “America first” mantra. | He insisted that the strikes were “justified and proportional”, motivated by national security of the region and humanitarian concerns, and that the decision “absolutely” squares with Trump’s “America first” mantra. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 8.41pm BST | at 8.41pm BST |
| 6.43pm BST | 6.43pm BST |
| 18:43 | 18:43 |
| Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, accuses the US of a “barbaric and flagrant act” that violates international law. | Bashar Jaafari, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, accuses the US of a “barbaric and flagrant act” that violates international law. |
| The strikes on a military airfield, he says, lead to “a number of martyrs, including women and children, and wide-ranging material damage”. It remains unclear what damage or casualties were caused by the strikes: the White House has said all 59 missiles hit their targets, while Russian authorities have claimed that fewer than half did. | The strikes on a military airfield, he says, lead to “a number of martyrs, including women and children, and wide-ranging material damage”. It remains unclear what damage or casualties were caused by the strikes: the White House has said all 59 missiles hit their targets, while Russian authorities have claimed that fewer than half did. |
| Nevertheless Jaafari says: “This treacherous act of aggression is a grave violation of the charter of the United Nations as well as all international laws and norms.” | Nevertheless Jaafari says: “This treacherous act of aggression is a grave violation of the charter of the United Nations as well as all international laws and norms.” |
| He claims – despite Tuesday’s chemical weapons strikes, the Syrian government’s past stockpiles and the word of US defense officials who said they had watched government planes make the strikes – that Assad’s government “does not have chemical weapons in the first place”. | He claims – despite Tuesday’s chemical weapons strikes, the Syrian government’s past stockpiles and the word of US defense officials who said they had watched government planes make the strikes – that Assad’s government “does not have chemical weapons in the first place”. |
| Such claims by the US, Jaafari says, were “attempts to justify it with empty pretexts … without genuine knowledge of what happened, without identifying whom was responsible”. | Such claims by the US, Jaafari says, were “attempts to justify it with empty pretexts … without genuine knowledge of what happened, without identifying whom was responsible”. |
| He then accuses the US of being “a partner of Isil and Jabhat al-Nusra” by way of its support for rebels who oppose Assad’s government. | He then accuses the US of being “a partner of Isil and Jabhat al-Nusra” by way of its support for rebels who oppose Assad’s government. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.11pm BST | at 7.11pm BST |