Donald Trump Orders Military Strike Against Syria in Response to Chemical Attack [Updating]
PoliticsOn Thursday, the U.S. military launched 50 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield in retaliation for a devastating chemical attack by President Bashar al-Assad that killed at least 80 people, marking the first direct military action the United States has taken in Syria since the start of the country’s civil war.
The New York Times reports that the attack is the first to come directly from President Trump’s orders and was likely done quickly in order to maintain an “element of surprise” and also to perhaps “send a message” that President Trump is unafraid to act on extremely short notice. Trump’s decision to use force so quickly after Assad’s attack is a sharp contrast to former President Obama’s more careful and considered approach to military force, the Times notes. U.S. troops currently stationed in Syria are now possibly under greater danger as a result of this strike, the Washington Post reports.