TRUMP ACTS: Just two days after he saw the images of children and babies killed by a Syrian gas attack, President Trump ordered a punishing attack on a Syrian air base last night. Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, the president made clear it was the power of the images that moved him to act so quickly against the air forces of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. “Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack,” Trump said. “No child of God should ever suffer such horror.” Read the full text here.
THE STRIKE: The early morning strike (4:40 a.m. today in Syria) targeted Shayrat Airfield in western Syria. Two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Porter and USS Ross, fired a total of 59 TLAMs (Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles) from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. “The strike was a proportional response to Assad’s heinous act,” the Pentagon said in a statement last night. “Shayrat Airfield was used to store chemical weapons and Syrian air forces. The U.S. intelligence community assesses that aircraft from Shayrat conducted the chemical weapons attack on April 4,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis. “The strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again.” You can see photos and video of the strike here.
WHY CRUISE MISSILES? There are number of factors that make the cruise missile the weapon of choice for this kind of one-time punitive attack. The GPS-guided Tomahawk is highly accurate against fixed targets. Despite Syrian vows to shoot down any incoming missiles, the low-flying Tomahawk is virtually impossible to defend against. No U.S. pilots were put at risk by Syrian air defenses, and no host nation needed to be consulted, which allows a quick strike. The high-tech cruise missiles are more expensive than smart bombs, in very round numbers costing almost $1 million a piece. The U.S. used to have thousands in its inventory, but after decades of war it is down to hundreds. Arizona Rep. Martha McSally used the strike to underscore the need to keep building the TLAM. “I’m proud that I have successfully advocated in Congress to keep the Tomahawk missile line at Raytheon in Tucson open so that this weapon was ready and available when our armed forces needed it,” McSally said in a statement.
THE BDA: The U.S. will use overhead imagery to conduct a thorough bomb damage assessment to determine success of the strike The nearly five dozen missiles targeted Syrian aircraft on the ground, as well as hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems. Syria reports seven of its military personnel were killed at the base. “Initial indications are that this strike has severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure and equipment,” Davis said last night. “The U.S. took extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties and to comply with the Law of Armed Conflict,” he said, adding, “U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.” Russia has said none of its people were hurt.
RUSSIA’S REACTION: Russian President Vladimir Putin “regards the strikes as aggression against a sovereign nation,” carried out “in violation of international law, and also under an invented pretext,” according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as quoted by several Russian news agencies this morning. Peskov asserted that “the Syrian army doesn’t have chemical weapons,” and characterized the U.S. missile strike as an attempt to distract attention from civilian casualties in Iraq. “This step deals significant damage to US-Russian ties, which are already in a deplorable state,” Peskov said. The Pentagon said Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using an established deconfliction line. But shortly after the strike, Moscow said it was suspending the use of the hot-line, which was designed to prevent inadvertent conflict between U.S. and Russian aircraft in the skies over Syria, and friendly-fire accidents on the ground.
The AP also reports that Russia is now pledging to help Syria beef up its air defenses in the event of another U.S. attack.
LONG-TERM EFFECT: While the strike is on a significant scale and sends a powerful symbolic message, a single attack on a single airfield is unlikely to ground Assad’s air forces or end his ability to continue to bomb his own citizens. That would take a sustained campaign over weeks or even months, that would have to target Syria’s six main airfields. Syria is already vowing to repair the damage at Shayrat. This strike has all the earmarks of a one-time action to put the Syrian leader on notice that future chemical attacks will not go unchallenged. It’s also possible that after a review of the effectiveness of the strike, a follow-up strike could be ordered by Trump.
THE MAIN TAKEAWAY: Regardless of the military effectiveness of the strike, and whether it does much to cripple Syria’s air forces or deter Assad from future chemical attacks, the quick decisive action sends a message welcomed by many Republicans on Capitol Hill, namely that Trump is no Obama. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the strike does signal U.S. entry into Syria’s six-year civil war. “This clearly indicates the president is willing to take decisive action when called for,” Tillerson told reporters. “I would not in any way attempt to extrapolate that to a change in our policy or our posture relative to our military activities in Syria today. There has been no change in that status.”
Good Friday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre), National Security Writer Travis J. Tritten (@travis_tritten) and Senior Editor David Brown (@dave_brown24). Email us here for tips, suggestions, calendar items and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll be sure to add you to our list. And be sure to follow us on Twitter @dailyondefense.
HAPPENING TODAY: The cruise missile attack completely overshadowed the U.S.-China meetings that continue today at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Last night, as U.S. warships were launching the volley of cruise missiles into Syria, Trump and his wife Melania were toasting China’s President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan. In brief pre-dinner remarks, Trump said, “We’ve had a long discussion already, and so far I have gotten nothing, absolutely nothing, but we have developed a friendship, I can see that. And I think long term we’re going to have a very, very great relationship, and I look very much forward to it.”
The meetings with Xi are focused on the threat from North Korea, in some ways an even more vexing problem than the Syrian civil war. Trump’s meetings with Xi are scheduled to wrap up today.
UNDER WHOSE AUTHORITY: As word of the impending attack spread around Capitol Hill yesterday, top senators were split over whether the president needed to seek new legal authority for the military strike. McCain said he believes Trump can shoot down Syrian aircraft and bomb airfields under existing authorities. But Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said the president should come to Congress with a plan for consideration. Sen. Tim Kaine, a member of the Armed Services Committee, also said he expects Trump to request Congress pass an authorization for the use of military force, as President Obama did for the war against the Islamic State. But Obama’s request ultimately failed when Congress refused to act and the war has since expanded in Iraq and Syria, where the military operates under war authorizations from 2001 and 2002 that were passed to topple Saddam Hussein and root out al Qaeda after 9/11.
MORE REACTION:
CONGRESS: Early reaction from Capitol Hill was mostly positive Thursday night after the strikes were announced. “Making sure Assad knows that when he commits such despicable atrocities he will pay a price is the right thing to do,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. “I salute the professionalism and skill of our Armed Forces who took action today.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan called the strikes “appropriate and just.” “These tactical strikes make clear that the Assad regime can no longer count on American inaction as it carries out atrocities against the Syrian people,” Ryan said. “Resolving the years-long crisis in Syria is a complex task, but Bashar al-Assad must be held accountable and his enablers must be persuaded to change course. I look forward to the administration further engaging Congress in this effort.”
But not all the reviews were positive. “While we all condemn the atrocities in Syria, the United States was not attacked,” Sen. Rand Paul said. “The president needs congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution, and I call on him to come to Congress for a proper debate. Our prior interventions in this region have done nothing to make us safer and Syria will be no different,” Paul said.
Congressional Democrats sounded a similar tone. Rep. Barbara Lee said the attack was an “act of war” that needs congressional approval. “Congress needs to come back into session & hold a debate,” she tweeted. “Anything less is an abdication of our responsibility.”
“We must be absolutely clear on the fact that the Assad regime is illegitimate and stand solidly with the international community and the Syrian people on this point,” said Rep. Adam Smith, ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee. “That does not mean that the United States bears the responsibility for removing Assad through military action, but it does mean that we must work in concert with international partners toward an end-state where the Syrian government no longer takes these unacceptable actions against its people.”
SYRIAN REBELS: A Syrian opposition group, the Syrian Coalition, welcomed the U.S. attack, saying it puts an end to an age of “impunity” and should herald the start of a larger campaign against Damascus. Maj. Jamil al-Saleh, a U.S-backed rebel commander based in the area where the U.S. attack took place, told The Associated Press he hoped the strike would be a “turning point” in the six-year-old war, which has killed an estimated 400,000 people.
TURKEY: In an interview with Turkish broadcaster Fox TV, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Syria must be fully punished and the peace process in Syria needs to be accelerated. He said the international community should sustain its stance against what he called the “barbarity” of the Syrian government.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia expressed full support for what it called a “courageous decision” by Trump. “A responsible source at the foreign ministry expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s full support for the American military operations on military targets in Syria,” according to a statement carried by state news agency SPA.
GREAT BRITAIN: “The UK Government fully supports the US action, which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, and is intended to deter further attacks,” a spokesman for the British government said.
IRAN: Iran, who along with Russia backs the Assad regime, condemned the U.S. strike as a “dangerous unilateral action.” An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned the strikes would “strengthen terrorists” and further complicate the situation in Syria. “Iran … condemns use of chemical weapons … but at the same time believes it is dangerous, destructive and a violation of international laws to use it as an excuse to take unilateral actions,” spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.
ISRAEL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the missile attack, issuing a statement of support. “In both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
NUNES STEPS ASIDE: In other news, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes will temporarily recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the face of an ethics investigation, he said in a statement Thursday, Kyle Feldscher writes. According to the statement, Nunes will cede control to Reps. Michael Conaway, Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney.
Nunes has been the center of controversy following his decision to go to the White House grounds to view documents provided to him by administration officials, which he said showed evidence that Obama administration officials may have unfairly unmasked Trump transition team members in a case unrelated to Russia. Instead of briefing the committee, Nunes briefed the press and the White House about that information.
THE F-15C/D NOT GONE YET: The Air Force yesterday denied there are any plans to phase out the air superiority model of the venerable F-15 Eagle anytime soon. Air Force spokesman Col. Pat Ryder told reporters yesterday that discussion of what to do about the fighter when it reaches the end of its service life was more of a “thought exercise,” than a plan. When Air Force aviation officers let it slip in a House hearing that they were thinking about replacing the air-to-air model with F-16s, they were quick to say the idea was predecisional. Ryder said current plans for the F-15C/D models has them flying at least through 2020.
THE RUNDOWN
Defense News: Top HASC Dem pessimistic about budget deal
USA Today: Leon Panetta: ‘We must never forget’ lessons of WWI
USNI News: Navy build-up needs comprehensive approach
Stars and Stripes: Visa denials lead Guam to oppose Marine Corps move
Reuters: China fighter plane spotted on South China Sea island: think tank
Reuters: Century-old posters of U.S. WWI entry are timely in Trump’s America
New York Times: Key points on sarin: The ‘most volatile’ of nerve agents
The Daily Beast: The Boston nerd who edited ISIS magazine is dead
New York Times: ‘Godspeed, John Glenn’
Military Times: Yemen officials: US strike kills 3 al-Qaida fighters
BuzzFeed: Pro-Trump media is falsely claiming that the chemical attack in Syria was a hoax
Calendar
FRIDAY | APRIL 7
9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Missile Defense 2020 and the next steps for defending the homeland, with Sen. Dan Sullivan, Laura Grego, senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists and James Miller, president of Adaptive Strategies. csis.org
MONDAY | APRIL 10
12:30 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. A Conversation with Sen. Chris Murphy about U.S. security amid budget cuts. cfr.org
1 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW. Trump, Xi, and US-China economic relations after the Mar-a-Lago meeting. stimson.org
TUESDAY | APRIL 11
8 a.m. 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 700. The quarterly procurement division meeting with speakers and panelists on the defense industrial base, challenges to acquisition and procurement. ndia.org
11 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. A genealogy of Russophobia in America. wilsoncenter.org
WEDNESDAY | APRIL 12
9:30 a.m. 1501 Lee Highway. A Discussion with Lt. Gen. Mark Nowland, deputy chief of staff for operations at the Air Force, about the service and the future force. mitchellaerospacepower.org
10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Book launch for Al-Qaeda’s Revenge: The 2004 Madrid Train Bombings. wilsoncenter.org
6 p.m. 1777 F St. NW. Perspectives on Russia from Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, Alexander R. Vershbow, distinguished fellow with the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security, and Rita Hauser, president of the Hauser Foundation. cfr.org
THURSDAY | APRIL 13
8:30 a.m. 1777 F St. NW. A series of morning panels on the origins of modern Russia in the collapse of the Soviet Union, current trends in the country today and the future of foreign policy toward Moscow. cfr.org
12:30 p.m. 1030 15th St. NW, 12th Floor. Former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway and a panel discuss advanced energy innovation and national security. atlanticcouncil.org
3:30 p.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Book launch for Konrad Wolf’s But I Saw It Myself, This is the War: War Diary and Letters, 1942-1945. wilsoncenter.org
