Transcript for Strikes will establish a strong deterrent of chemical weapons: Trump

now reporting davr. Good evg from Beirut it is 5:18 in the morning. 'Ve been bracing for litary action all week long. Tonight it's beendelid. U.S. Precision air strikes syria.me landingbo 90 M where we are just a short timeago. These are images O British jets Taki of the president addressing T nation shortly after0 P.M. Eastern telling the country THA these precision strikes WER underway aimed at chemical weap capability in sy Al in fng the America people we were D this with the uk and ce. We know Theresa mayaying something needed to be done. French president Emmanuel macron saying it wasutely chemical attack. The defensetment inur country asked a short time ago out WHA kinds of chemicals used. These are the images CING in of this event that was underwa around 9:00 p.m.ean. James Mattis artime ago saying this waves complete. Theyon't anticipate any condary wave at least not yet. We know there W itial response from sy there was some surface to air activity. They could not confirm how many Hales they tried to reach the syri forces on the nd we have team coverage standing by. First president tru addressing the nation and informing the an people that strikes had been launched against Syria after thehemicalttack just daysago. My fw Americans, a short lh precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities O Syrian dict bashar al-assad. A combined operation with the armed forces of France and T united kind is now underway. Wehank them both. Tonight I want toak with you about why we've taken this action. One yeargo Assad launched savagehemical weapons ak agt his own innocpeople. The United States respond with 58 missile strhat destroyed 20%f theyrianir force. Last Saturday the Assad regime again deplo checal weapons to slaughter innocent cians this in the town of Duma near Syrian capitalf scus. This was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapo use that veryrible regime. Evil and the cable attackeft mothers fathers, infants and childrenhrashing in pain andping for air. Ese are not the actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead. Following horrors of world War I, a cenago, civilized nations joined together to ban emwaare. Chemical wea are uniquely dangs, not only bec the inflic gruesome sfering but E even amounts can ash wide spr devastation. Thepose ofurns T is to establish a str deterrent against T produce, and use of chemical weapons. Establishing this deter R is for the united at th combinedritish Andre and United States response will combine all iumf our national power, milit economy dip pl-- plomatic. You heard theresident talking about what witnessed in Syria, the chemical attack be therimes of a monster. Talking about the mot and children weawho images an saw all over the world. I have want to bringn Cecilia Vega. She's beenon developments at the white ho I known the president tweetebout new mles coming, smart, shiny N missiles. He took some heat fhose whosaid he was telegraphing what E U.S. Would do long befor they did it worked with allies in the U and France and worked with his defen secry. From the white house they're sa this is a clear warning to Syria, to Assad and to Russia. You heard the prent tonight say who wants to be associated a murdererf women, men and child in some ways this was a delayed decision. The pre signalled it might come earlier in the week. 24 to 48 hours he announced. There have been reports perhaps there was some delay becausee wa a teresponse to Russia and Syria from H own military. As you mentioned he was itor broadcasting what he would do, something he S he would never .in the end, vid, it was those hoic images of those children T moved this president to act. A really important point there. As cecel pointed out president taking on Russia Iran, two companies that propped up this Assad regime. He pointed at Vladimir Putin saying he failed to keep a prise. He was supposed to guarantee that the chemical weapons wouldn't be used agn. I want tring in Martha Raddatz who has been tracking this. Martha I was struck B James Mattis saying they not learn their lesson a year when the u.s.truck Syria with a targetedstrike. One year later something very different unfng here GHT. David, one surprise fromt briefing is that they onlyit three targets in the chemi weapons infrastructure. You heard the president talk about the chemicpo capability. Genel Mattis said - secretary is said it was chemical weapons infrastructure. Thre targets. We explain though. He S it was a one-shot deal. We know he said this could be sustained if they havenymore chemical attacks. For tht it's over.less Assad uses more weapons they won't attack him again. We're looking atmagesf some of theanti-aircraftirwe saw ler Damascus. The defense secretary T us the three targets targeting Damascus where chemil biological facility wasused. A chemical weapons equipment lihough they wouldn't offermo specifics on the location. Martha points out three specific locations aimed at the chemil weapons capabils Syria. The defense secretary say they have not learned their lessons a yearago. We're hear from the defense secretary James mats as we

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