US, France and UK strike Syrian chemical targets

ARLINGTON, VA - APRIL 13: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford brief members of the media on Syria at the Pentagon April 13, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. The three countries jointly launched strikes targeting the Assad regime's chemical weapons research center near Damascus, a chemical weapons warehouse and a command center related to chemical weapons located west of Homs, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford said at a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense James Mattis.During the conference, Mattis said the Bashar al-Assad regime ignored international law and killed many innocent civilians, including women and children, adding the U.S. and its allies found "these atrocities inexcusable".Emphasizing that Trump gave the strike order in accordance with Article Two of the U.S. Constitution, Mattis said the strikes targeted Assad's chemical weapons depots and research centers while paying utmost attention to avoid civilian and foreign casualties."I want to emphasize that these strikes are directed at the Syrian regime. In conducting these strikes, we have gone to great lengths to avoid civilian and foreign casualties," Mattis told reporters.“It is time for all civilized nations to urgently unite in ending the Syrian civil war by supporting the United Nations-backed Geneva peace process,” Mattis added, noting he expected Russia and other Assad backers to pursue a “significant disinformation campaign” on the strikes.(Footage by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)