Trump defends ‘Mission Accomplished’
But Syria still faces further retaliation, including sanctions
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday defended his use of the phrase “Mission Accomplished” to describe a U.S.-led missile attack on Syria’s chemical weapons program, even as his aides stressed continuing U.S. troop involvement and plans for new economic sanctions against Russia for enabling the regime of Bashar Assad.
Stepping up the pressure on Syria’s president, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley indicated the sanctions to be announced Monday would be aimed at sending a message to Russia, which she said has blocked six attempts by the UN Security Council to make it easier to investigate the use of chemical weapons.
“Everyone is going to feel it at this point,” Haley said, warning of consequences for Assad’s foreign allies.
“The international community will not allow chemical weapons to come back into our everyday life,” she said. “The fact he was making this more normal and that Russia was covering this up, all that has got to stop.”
In Damascus, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised Russian weaponry on Sunday as his government celebrated victory over rebels in the town where an alleged chemical attack took place. Assad made the comments during a meeting with Russian lawmakers, who later told reporters that he was in a “good mood,” according to Russian news reports.
In an early-morning tweet, Trump said the strike was “perfectly carried out” and that “the only way the Fake News Media could demean was by my use of the term ‘Mission Accomplished.’ ”
He added that he knew the media would “seize” on the phrase, but said it should be used often. “It is such a great Military term, it should be brought back,” he wrote.
Trump tweeted “Mission Accomplished” on Saturday after U.S., French and British warplanes and ships launched more than 100 missiles nearly unopposed by Syrian air defences. While he declared success, the Pentagon said the pummeling of three chemical-related facilities left enough others intact to enable the Assad government to use banned weapons against civilians if it chooses.
His choice of words recalled a similar claim associated with President George W. Bush following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Bush addressed sailors aboard a Navy ship in May 2003 alongside a “Mission Accomplished” banner, just weeks before it became apparent that Iraqis had organized an insurgency that would tie down U.S. forces for years.
On Sunday, Haley made clear the United States won’t be pulling troops out of Syria right away, saying U.S. involvement there “is not done.”
Haley said the three U.S. goals for accomplishing its mission are making sure chemical weapons are not used in a way that could harm U.S. national interests; that the Islamic State group is defeated; and that there is a good vantage point to watch what Iran is doing.
“We’re not going to leave until we know we’ve accomplished those things,” she said.
Haley said the joint military strike “put a heavy blow into their chemical weapons program, setting them back years.” And she reiterated that if Assad uses poison gas again, “the United States is locked and loaded.”
The nighttime assault was carefully limited to minimize civilian casualties and avoid direct conflict with Russia in Syria, but confusion arose over the extent to which Washington warned Moscow in advance. The Pentagon said it gave no explicit warning. The U.S. ambassador in Moscow, John Huntsman, said in a video: “Before we took action, the United States communicated with” Russia to “reduce the danger of any Russian or civilian casualties.”
Russia has military forces, including air defences, in several areas of Syria to support Assad in his long war against anti-government rebels.
Russia and Iran called the use of force by the United States and its French and British allies a “military crime” and an “act of aggression.” The UN Security Council met to debate the strikes, but rejected a Russian resolution calling for condemnation of the “aggression” by the three Western allies.
Assad denies he has used chemical weapons, and the Trump administration has yet to present hard evidence of what it says precipitated the allied missiles attack: a chlorine gas attack on civilians in Douma on April 7. The U.S. says it suspects that sarin gas also was used.
“Good souls will not be humiliated,” Assad tweeted, while hundreds of Syrians gathered in Damascus, the capital, where they flashed victory signs and waved flags in scenes of defiance after the early morning barrage.
The strikes “successfully hit every target,” said Dana W. White, the chief Pentagon spokesperson. The military said there were three targets: the Barzah chemical weapons research and development site in the Damascus area, a chemical weapons storage facility near Homs, and a chemical weapons “bunker” a few miles from the second target.
The U.S.-led operation won broad Western support, including the NATO alliance, which gave its full backing.