Syria: UN Security Council meets over US-led air strikes

The US, Britain and France launched coordinated strikes against Syria’s research, storage and military targets to “punish” the Bashar al-Assad regime for an apparent chemical attack in Douma that killed over 70 people.

“Could not have had a better result”. An entire new generation of USA troops is deployed now in Afghanistan as well as Syria.

Because the USA did not commit ground troops to the conflict, the White House is treating Friday’s strike as a separate conflict that starts the 60-day clock over.

“We met our objectives. So it was mission accomplished“.

The Western assault involved more missiles than a USA attack a year ago but struck targets limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities. Mohammed says he doesn’t think the strikes will have any impact unless they come along with an enforced agreement to remove all chemical weapons from Syria.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday urged countries to uphold worldwide law as the Security Council met to discuss military strikes carried out by the United States, France and Britain on Syria.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, who has pushed Congress to pass a new authorisation for the use of military force, deemed the president’s action “illegal” because he proceeded without approval from lawmakers.

France declassified a report on Saturday laying out evidence that officials said proves that a chemical attack in Syria last week was carried out by the government of President Bashar Assad.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation also expressed “full support” for the strikes.

Shortly after the second attack more than 500 patients, a lot of them women and children, showed signs of exposure to a chemical agent and were taken to medical facilities.

For years, U.S. President Donald Trump attacked Barack Obama on a variety of issues, including how much time the former president spent on the golf course and U.S. military involvement in Syria.

Investors have had two days to reflect on the strike, so the operation isn’t a factor that would prompt traders to sell anymore, said Mohammed Ali Yasin, the chief executive officer of FAB Securities in Abu Dhabi. Experts arrived Saturday, the chemical weapons watchdog said on Twitter.

The draft resolution by the US, UK and France would establish an independent investigation of allegations of toxic gas attacks in Syria with the aim of identifying the perpetrators.

“We do have significant information that also points to sarin use”, the official said, citing symptoms described in reporting from media, non-governmental organizations and other open sources.

At least 40 people are believed to have died in the attack on Douma, until the weekend the last rebel-held town outside the Syrian capital.

On Saturday, Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron huddled by telephone to discuss their joint action. The phrase was the same one the last Republican president, George W. Bush, employed to his regret in 2003, when the Iraq War was far from over.

The vote came at the end of an emergency meeting called by Moscow.

The new strikes – Trump had ordered an attack a little over a year ago – posed the risk of drawing the USA deeply into a conflict in which Russian Federation and Iran have invested more than ever to keep Assad in power.

In a press briefing at the Pentagon Saturday, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. confirmed the three distinct targets – a research facility, a weapons depot and a command center.

They oppose the military action.

The operation marked the second time the USA struck Assad’s military. Both nations have troops and equipment in Syria that has, at times, threatened the relatively small USA presence in Syria.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White told reporters on Saturday the strikes “successfully hit every target”.

He said Russian air defences did not fire, while Syrian air defences were completely ineffective against an attack from multiple directions involving not just US, British and French aircraft but also US naval destroyers, a cruiser, a French frigate and even a US submarine.

The Violations Documentation Centre, which records alleged violations of global law in Syria, said there were attacks at 4.30pm and 7.30pm.

Russian Federation has reacted strongly to the air strikes and warned of “consequences”. It was not meant to bring an end to the Assad regime, indicate greater U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war, or deter either the Russians or Iranians from involvement in the country.

Dubai’s DFM General Index added 1.8 percent, led by Emaar Properties PJSC’s 2.9 percent increase. “Therefore, we will keep you all abreast of the facts moving forward”. US officials said no one was hurt there.