>>> I am Maureen Cavanaugh, it is Monday, April 16. Our top story on Midday Edition, the president tweeted should accomplished about the weekend airstrikes against targets in Syria. Members in San Diego Syrian community are expressing were mixed feelings. San Diego is home to more than 1000 Syrian refugees displaced in the Syrian war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Airstrikes in retaliation for chemical attacks allegedly made by a thought to his own people comes exactly one year to similar airstrikes by the U.S. over chemical attacks in Syria. Joining me on psych Skype is why you're a LaSala for medium in freedom and fixed Russian and editor in chief of the Syrian observer. Welcome to it made edition. What was your first reaction when you heard of the strikes on Friday. >> We were expecting that before the strike took place. We were arguing that such a strike has to be strong enough in order to neutralize the forces and prevent aside for more taxes people whether he uses chemical weapons or other weapons. We also one of the attack to be connected strongly to the political pressure on the Syrian regime and on Russia in order to make them accept to go openly to Geneva to have serious talks this time which would lead in the end to a political transition that will take Syria to a democratic system. >>> On the two counts of the fierceness of the attack crippling all aside from being able to use chemical weapons in the diplomatic front, where they mission accomplished? Speed in the mission will not be accomplished before a political solution has been achieved in Syria. In comparison with last year's attack, this attack is more different. It has political content which the last year's attack did not. It was definitely stronger than last year. It came after Russia openly criticized the intention to strike aside. And after a round of give and take of the Security Council which Russia appeared to be strongly supporting the Assad regime. President donald trump did not listen to the concerns and went on with his Strike. The frustration of the United Kingdom and France added another dimension to the Strike. Regarding the diplomatic front, we still believe that the United States and the West have to use the policy of stick and carrot with Russia. The Russian regime has to understand clearly that the free world is not kidding when it says that Assad has to leave. He remember when President Obama a few years ago said that Mubarak had to leave. He did leave because Obama was serious and that. President donald trump names the week situation blames the week situation in Syria and President Obama. He forgets now that he is the president and not Obama. He and only he is the person who most Syrians expect to work properly and to make the political solution in Syria feasible. >>> Week before this U.S. airstrike in Syria reports were that president donald trump wanted to pull out U.S. forces from Syria. What kind of a message about the U.S. commitment does that send to the Syrian people and Syrian Americans? >> I want to say that that statement which president donald trump made made the Syrians very confused about the credibility of the U.S. Syrian strategy. Most of the Syrians were upset. They did not understand what would come next. Particularly, the behavior of the U.S. administration before gave the impression that it is planning to stay for a while. And it will not give up Syria very easily. The statement came as a complete disappointment to the Syrians. To be Frankclay and honest, most Syrians fear that Trump is not consistent. They fear that once Trump can easily strike the Assad regime the following day he can change his mind which is not very reassuring for the Syrian people. >>> Do you think this recent chemical attack it will cause the president to change his stance on Syrian refugees? >> I hope so. I don't think president donald trump will go that far. I think that his policy towards the regime will remain as is. There are many internal factors that the president needs to take into consideration in regards to his base of the election is this November and in 2020. I don't think Trump will sell off his ideology for the sake of the Syrian people. >>> I have been speaking with while Sauer Executive Director of the Center for media and freedom of expression and editor-in-chief of the Syrian observer. Thank you so much. >> Thank you.
The U.S., France and the U.K. targeted chemical weapons sites in Syria early Saturday. Since the launch of more than 100 missiles, a war of words has ensued.
A group of Russian lawmakers who met with Syrian President Bashar Assad said he considered the airstrikes an act of aggression, but also that Assad was in a "good mood," Reuters reported. Russian news agencies quoted a lawmaker who said that the airstrikes would unify the country, the Associate Press reported.
There has also been debate over how the missiles fared across the sky. The Russia military claimed that Syria's air defenses shot down some of the missiles launched by Western forces. But the U.S. Department of Defense said on Saturday that none of the missiles were downed.
At a Saturday press briefing, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. said, "None of our aircraft or missiles involved in this operation were successfully engaged by Syrian air defenses, and we have no indication that Russian air-defense systems were employed. We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets. At the end of the strike mission, all our aircraft safely returned to their bases."
In a Sunday Telegraph opinion piece, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson reinforced U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's statement that the strikes were not about meant to drive regime change or interference in Syria's civil war.
Johnson said the missiles were launched to degrade and deter the Assad regime's ability to deploy chemical weapons. He wrote, "If we do nothing there will be other people and other governments around the world who will look at the impunity of Assad and ask themselves: they got away with it - why shouldn't I?"
He also said that despite Syria's commitment in 2013 to destroying its chemical arsenal — and Russia's promise to supervise to it – "the Assad Regime and Russia has made a complete mockery of that pledge."
Meanwhile, the leader of Britain's opposition party, Jeremy Corbyn, described Saturday's strike as a "legally questionable attack." He said that Parliament should have been consulted before the attacks occurred.
In the days leading up to the U.S.-led airstrike, both Syria and Russia said that reports of the chemical attack were fabricated. The Russian government accused the U.K. of staging the attack, which the British government says is "ludicrous."
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a written statement on Friday that an onslaught of fake information would be coming. "Based on recent experience, we fully expect a significant disinformation campaign over the coming days by those who have aligned themselves with the Assad regime," Mattis said.
Jasmine el-Gamal, the Pentagon's Syria country director during the Obama administration, told NPR's Weekend Edition on Sunday that the strikes were successful because they showed that President Trump was following through on his commitment. She said that the missile strikes should be expanded. "We are actually telling Assad that it's okay to kill Syrians in any other way but through chemical weapons."
Meanwhile early on Sunday morning, President Trump tweeted, "The Syrian raid was so perfectly carried out, with such precision, that the only way the Fake News Media could demean was by my use of the term 'Mission Accomplished.' I knew they would seize on this but felt it is such a great Military term, it should be brought back. Use often!"
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said on Sunday that new sanctions on Russia will be announced Monday. "They will go directly to any sort of companies that were dealing with equipment related to Assad and chemical weapons use," she said in an interview with CBS' Face the Nation.
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