The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the damage done to the Syria military chemical/gas weapon facilities by the 105 missles launched by the US, UK and French military …..
There are before/after images from commercial satellite ‘s of the targeted sites….
Some of he American and British missles sent from ship’s on the attacks where Tomahawk missles….
The French fired MdCN cruise missles…
There where also missle launched from UK Tornado Fighters, American B-1 Bombers and French Rafale Fighetr Jets….
On Apr. 14, the U.S., France and the U.K. launched 105 missiles against three targets connected to Syria’s chemical weapons program, in the biggest Western intervention against Bashar al-Assad’s regime since the war started in 2011. The aim of the mission was to cripple the regime’s ability to carry out attacks like the one it is suspected of having conducted in Douma a week earlier, killing at least 43 people, possibly with chlorine and a nerve agent.
Barzah Research and Development Center..
Images: DigitalGlobe
The U.S. said 76 of its missiles hit a research-and-development center in Barzah outside Damascus, a facility U.S. Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie called “the heart of the Syrian chemical weapons program.” The center is part of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, which the U.S. last year targeted with punitive sanctions against 271 staff members after a chemical-weapons attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun. According to a Western intelligence agency quoted by the British Broadcasting Corporation, the facility specialized in installing chemical weapons on long-range missiles and artillery. Photos from the site suggest the attack reduced the center to little more than rubble…..
Counter view on the strikes effective deterence to Assad, Russia and Iran…
The strikes as conducted last night instill no fear nor uncertainty on the part of the Syrian regime. Look at all of the instances of their use of chemical weapons over the last few years, and look at the very limited target set of the U.S.-led attack. The strikes didn’t hit any of the Syrian Air Force units that drop chemical weapons routinely. Nor did they target intelligence capabilities, logistics sites, or other enablers of Syrian military chemical weapons efforts.
And the strikes certainly didn’t even come close to making Assad fear that anything of real value to him or the regime would be threatened if he used chemical weapons again. The strikes only hit chemical research and production facilities. Thus, this attack looks much more like it was meant only to degrade Syrian chemical weapons themselves.
In short, Assad should have nothing to fear from using chemical weapons again. The only real costs to him of such strikes might be a smaller short-term supply of the weapons.
The U.S. strikes likely successfully degraded Syrian chemical weapons capabilities. But the very narrow and limited nature of the strikes served to weaken deterrence of future Syrian chemical weapons use…..
More…
It’s looking increasingly like Joe Manchin of WV is going to be the one to decide whether Mike Pompeo gets confirmed for Secretary of State or not.
It looks like all the other red state Democrats up for reelection are going to hold the party line and vote no. They must not be feeling the political pressure at home, so it will depend on what Manchin decides, since Rand Paul is a no and John McCain has yet to return to Washington, and Steve Bannon pissed away a seat in Alabama.
Who do they think Trump will turn to after Pompeo? If Rand Paul doesn’t like the choice, the Democrats may just have the power to prevent anyone from officially serving as Secretary of State for the rest of Trump’s term.
Not necessarily a good thing for democracy, as the tables will eventually be turned one day.
My guess is Pompeii gets confirmed andHaspel does not …..
Here’s the Pompeo Senate Committee trouble link.…
Thr GOP will continue to vote against almost all future Democratic nominees – regardless of how the Pompeii vote goes. Recall obama’s last Supreme Court justice nominee – who wasn’t even liberal.
Fellow lawmakers seldom get NOT confirmed
Regardless of political party ….
That was in the psst….