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| Syria: 'Mission accomplished,' says Trump after overnight strikes – live updates | Syria: 'Mission accomplished,' says Trump after overnight strikes – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The UK government has released a summary of its legal advice authorising air strikes against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons, which is certain to be at the centre of controversy in the coming days, not least as parliament comes back. | |
| The advice argues that there were three key legal considerations that had been satisfied: “convincing evidence, generally accepted by the international community as a whole, of extreme humanitarian distress on a large scale, requiring immediate and urgent relief; no practicable alternative to the use of force if lives are to be saved, and that the proposed use of force must be necessary and proportionate to the aim of relief”. | |
| Arguments are most likely to focus in the coming days on the first two conditions. | |
| Syria’s allies, including Russia and Iran, as well as other opponents of the military action will dispute that the “evidence” - in particular the assessment presented by France – is “generally accepted by the international community”, with Russia continuing to stick to its version that the attack was “staged”. | |
| Critics are also likely to home in on the fact that the strikes took place before two teams of chemical weapons inspectors, who had stated their intentional of visiting Douma – the site of last weekend’s attack – were able to do their work and present their reporting which would also inform the issue of “practicable alternative[s] to the use of force”. | |
| The counter argument to these criticisms will be made that Russia, through use of its veto, has made it almost impossible to secure agreement on evidence of culpability or alternatives. | |
| Asked if Trump’s “mission accomplished” comments were accurate, White says: “Last night’s operations were very successful. We met our objectives. So it was mission accomplished.” | |
| Pressed on the matter, White said: “It was a successful mission. What happened next depends on what the Assad regime decides to do.” | |
| Some Syria chemical weapons infrastructure remains, McKenzie says, but the airstrikes have significantly reduced the country’s chemical weapons capability. | |
| Asked if retaliation is expected, McKenzie said he could not say but added: “We’re ready for it. We’re on the balls of our feet and ready for anything.” | |
| White, Pentagon spokesperson said: “We took action and what happens next is the decision of Assad.” | |
| McKenzie says Russian air defence systems were not deployed. There were no agreements with Russia in advance, he adds. | McKenzie says Russian air defence systems were not deployed. There were no agreements with Russia in advance, he adds. |
| No Syrian had any impact on anything the US, UK or French forces did, he says. | No Syrian had any impact on anything the US, UK or French forces did, he says. |
| The Syrian regime knows US was looking at targets so possible some personnel may have left the facilities targeted, McKenzie say. However, the attacks were launched at 3am local time so unlikely many people there. | The Syrian regime knows US was looking at targets so possible some personnel may have left the facilities targeted, McKenzie say. However, the attacks were launched at 3am local time so unlikely many people there. |
| Lt Gen McKenzie said “as of now” US not aware of any civilian casualties. | Lt Gen McKenzie said “as of now” US not aware of any civilian casualties. |
| He tells reporters that US belives there were chemical weapons and nerve agents stored on the Barzah research site, that was destroyed by airstrikes. | He tells reporters that US belives there were chemical weapons and nerve agents stored on the Barzah research site, that was destroyed by airstrikes. |
| He said the attacks were launched in such a way as to minimise any fallout by way of dispersal of chemicals into the air. | He said the attacks were launched in such a way as to minimise any fallout by way of dispersal of chemicals into the air. |
| The chief pentagon spokesperson, Dana W White, is giving an update alongside Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), a senior military adviser to the US president. | The chief pentagon spokesperson, Dana W White, is giving an update alongside Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), a senior military adviser to the US president. |
| White said the attacks were not an attempt to depose the Assad regime and do not signify a shift in US policy. | White said the attacks were not an attempt to depose the Assad regime and do not signify a shift in US policy. |
| She said the airstrikes had been launched to “cripple Syria’s ability to use chemical weapons in the future” and had “successfully hit every target”. | |
| She insisted the strikes did not “represent a change in US policy or an attempt to depose the Syrian regime” and that the US focus was to defeat the Islamic State terror group. | |
| But, she added: “We cannot allow such grievous violations of international law.” | |
| McKenzie took reporters through the airstrikes, saying 105 weapons were deployed against targets. He said the strikes will deter use of chemical weapons in the future. | McKenzie took reporters through the airstrikes, saying 105 weapons were deployed against targets. He said the strikes will deter use of chemical weapons in the future. |
| McKenzie said: “I’d use three words to describe this operation - precise, overwhelming and effective.” | |
| Theresa May’s argument for bombing in Syria is “nonsensical” argues Andrew Adonis, the Labour peer, in the Guardian. | Theresa May’s argument for bombing in Syria is “nonsensical” argues Andrew Adonis, the Labour peer, in the Guardian. |
| Theresa May’s essential argument that the bombing in Syria in the early hours of Saturday was “strong enough to deter but weak enough not to provoke the Russians” is so obviously nonsensical it explains why she didn’t wish to make it in parliament. | Theresa May’s essential argument that the bombing in Syria in the early hours of Saturday was “strong enough to deter but weak enough not to provoke the Russians” is so obviously nonsensical it explains why she didn’t wish to make it in parliament. |
| This was “gesture bombing” of carefully selected second-order military installations, to be seen to be doing something – but not too much – in response to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s apparent chemical weapons attack, enabled by the Russians, on civilians in the Damascus enclave of Douma last week. | This was “gesture bombing” of carefully selected second-order military installations, to be seen to be doing something – but not too much – in response to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s apparent chemical weapons attack, enabled by the Russians, on civilians in the Damascus enclave of Douma last week. |
| Read more here: | Read more here: |
| The US president is awake and tweeting. | The US president is awake and tweeting. |
| 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! | 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! |
| So proud of our great Military which will soon be, after the spending of billions of fully approved dollars, the finest that our Country has ever had. There won’t be anything, or anyone, even close! | So proud of our great Military which will soon be, after the spending of billions of fully approved dollars, the finest that our Country has ever had. There won’t be anything, or anyone, even close! |
| Egypt is the latest country to issue a response to the US-led strikes in Syria, expressing its “deep concern” over further military escalation in the region. | Egypt is the latest country to issue a response to the US-led strikes in Syria, expressing its “deep concern” over further military escalation in the region. |
| Without specifically mentioning the overnight missile strikes, Egypt’s foreign ministry rejected the use of internationally banned weapons on Syrian territory and demanded a transparent international investigation into last Saturday’s use of chemical weapons, Reuters reported. | Without specifically mentioning the overnight missile strikes, Egypt’s foreign ministry rejected the use of internationally banned weapons on Syrian territory and demanded a transparent international investigation into last Saturday’s use of chemical weapons, Reuters reported. |
| “The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its solidarity with the brotherly Syrian people in their aspirations to live in security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement. | “The Arab Republic of Egypt expresses its solidarity with the brotherly Syrian people in their aspirations to live in security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement. |
| It called for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis and efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected by the conflict. | It called for a peaceful resolution to the Syrian crisis and efforts to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those affected by the conflict. |
| Our Middle East reporter, Mona Mahmood, has spoken to Fahad Alqadi, a 46-year-old lawyer from rebel held Idlib in northern Syria about the attacks. | Our Middle East reporter, Mona Mahmood, has spoken to Fahad Alqadi, a 46-year-old lawyer from rebel held Idlib in northern Syria about the attacks. |
| He said: | He said: |
| I believe this US airstrike against Bashar Al-Assad is the only choice left for the world to stop his crimes against the Syrian people. All talks and conferences proved to be futile. | I believe this US airstrike against Bashar Al-Assad is the only choice left for the world to stop his crimes against the Syrian people. All talks and conferences proved to be futile. |
| We do not want a war that might destroy Syria, which is already destroyed by the Russians and Iranians. We want diplomatic pressures to force Bashar and Shia militias to leave Syria and let the Syrian people live like any normal people in the world. The message of the US-led airstrikes is that US, UK and France can act without getting the approval of the Russians and this is a very important turning point in the Syrian crisis. | We do not want a war that might destroy Syria, which is already destroyed by the Russians and Iranians. We want diplomatic pressures to force Bashar and Shia militias to leave Syria and let the Syrian people live like any normal people in the world. The message of the US-led airstrikes is that US, UK and France can act without getting the approval of the Russians and this is a very important turning point in the Syrian crisis. |
| The Russians have been manipulating the Syrian cause for more than two years with the Iranians and blocking any international act against the massacres committed by the Syrian regime.This is a message to the Russian president, not to Bashar that Syria is not one of his properties. | The Russians have been manipulating the Syrian cause for more than two years with the Iranians and blocking any international act against the massacres committed by the Syrian regime.This is a message to the Russian president, not to Bashar that Syria is not one of his properties. |
| We are in support of any military or diplomatic attempt that can force Bashar to leave and end the suffering of the Syrian people. War is the worst choice because the result might be disastrous, but we have lost hope that the Syrian regime would response to any diplomatic solutions. I hope the pressure will continue and this airstrike is only the beginning. | We are in support of any military or diplomatic attempt that can force Bashar to leave and end the suffering of the Syrian people. War is the worst choice because the result might be disastrous, but we have lost hope that the Syrian regime would response to any diplomatic solutions. I hope the pressure will continue and this airstrike is only the beginning. |