Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said the U.S. and its allies “successfully hit every target” in airstrikes in Syria that took place overnight. The Pentagon is briefing reporters after the U.S., France and the United Kingdom launched a series of strikes at 9 p.m. ET Friday night, or roughly 4 a.m. local time in Syria.
The attacks were in response to the Syrian regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons last weekend. In total, the U.S. used 105 weapons against three targets.
“I can assure you we took every measure and precaution to strike only what we targeted and –– and we successfully hit every target, White told reporters Saturday.
White said the U.S. believes it has “significantly crippled” Assad’s ability to carry out a chemical weapons attack. White said the mission in Syria remains defeating ISIS, but the U.S. will not stand by while Assad attacks “innocent Syrian people.”
Joint Staff Director Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie told reporters the initial assessment is that the Defense Department accomplished its goals “without material interference” from Syrian defenses. The attempts from Syrian defenses were imprecise, in contrast to the U.S. mission, he said.
“We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie emphasized, reiterating what White said.
McKenzie said that, “As of right now, we are not aware of any civilian casualties,” although they cannot be certain, given the defense launched by the Syrians.
Mr. Trump is already claiming success.
“Mission Accomplished!” President Trump tweeted Friday morning, after addressing the nation the night before to announce the attacks. Secretary of Defense James Mattis emphasized that the targets were infrastructure related to the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons program, and that there are no plans at this time for further strikes.
But the president, in his address to the nation from the White House, declared that the U.S. is prepared to continue military intervention until Assad stops the use of chemical weapons.
“Establishing this deterrent is a vital national security interest of the United States,” Mr. Trump said Friday night. “The combined American, British and French response to these atrocities will integrate all instruments of our national power — military, economic and diplomatic. We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”
White agreed with Mr. Trump’s assessment, even as the Pentagon leaves its options open about any future strikes.
“It was mission accomplished,” she said. White insisted that, despite the U.S. intervention in attempting to stop Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons on his own people, the U.S. mission in Syria remains defeating ISIS.
“Our focus remains defeating ISIS. It is not to get involved in the Syrian civil war,” she said.
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