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these are not the actions of a man. they are crimes of a monster instead the u.s. britain and france launching air strikes saying syria has used chemical weapons and needs to be held accountable. welcome to al-jazeera. with special coverage of the overnight military action in syria also had. the targets three syrian facilities near damascus and the city of homs the u.s. calls the strikes a success. we stress that this kind of aggression will not stop our army but the syrian government says it won't be intimidated and its russian allies claim to have shot

down most of the incoming missiles. into the program but it's over nine hundred g.m.t. that's new and in damascus you're watching al-jazeera english extended coverage of the u.s. led military action against bashar al assad it's the biggest intervention to get by western powers against syria's government since the war began more than seven years ago now the u.s. britain and france have hit regime targets with the barrels of airstrikes from ships and the fighter jets in response to a suspected poison gas attack last week u.s. president donald trump announced the operation and explosions were heard in syria's capital damascus now the government's key allies of responded with anger russia has warned that there will be consequences iran says it's

a clear violation of international laws as dawn broke in damascus regime supporters gathered to cheer for president bashar al assad syrian. officials have described the military action as brutal and american british french aggression. now all of the strikes were aimed at degrading syria's chemical weapons capabilities and the first target was a scientific research center in the greater damascus area the pentagon says it was used for the production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology two more sites were targeted west of homs both were chemical weapons storage facilities according to the pentagon one of them was also a military command center now we're tracking reaction from around the world to our correspondents in washington d.c. moscow beirut london and paris live to all of them after alan fischer wraps up everything we know so far a response had been promised predicted and no delivered by fellow americans a short time ago i ordered the united states armed forces to launch precision

strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of syrian dictator bashar al assad donald trump has argued be us had to take action to protect its national interest at the stop the assad regime use of chemical weapons the purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production spread and use of chemical weapons establishing this deterrent is a vital national security interest of the united states and in this message for president assad's russian and the really in our lights what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men women and children. the nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep no nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states

brutal tyrants and murderous dictators. it's just over a year since a signing gas attack in syria provoked an american military response this was a joint operation the french and the british joining the americans tonight france the united kingdom and the united states took decisive action to straight to syrian chemical weapons infrastructure clearly the assad regime did not get the message last year u.s. defense secretary says he was convinced of syrian involvement in the suspected chemical attack just hours before the operation was given the go ahead but i am confident the cherian regime conducted a chemical attack on innocent people. in this last last week yes absolutely confident of it and we have the intelligence level of confidence that we needed to

conduct the attack. but as donald trump addressed the country there were some questioning if you believe will power to launch the attack here in the united states our constitution says without any equivocation it's up to congress not the president not the executive branch to declare a war to say when we're going to go to war the president then executes that decision the russians had warned of consequences if the u.s. launched this attack because of its close ties to the syrian government the airstrikes may be over this new middle east crisis isn't alan fischer al-jazeera washington. well it's more of the syrian government's response the state media says it's an aggression against syria and the result of the west's failure of an anti syria project it says the strikes are aimed at obstructing investigations of the international fact finding team currently in duma where the suspected chemical attack took place last weekend syria has called on the international community to

condemn the aggression saying it's meant to fuel tension and threaten international peace and security in yet that the law. we stress that this kind of aggression will not stop our army our alliance will continue targeting terrorist groups across the country this will strengthen us and we will continue to defend our sovereignty and our homeland and people's security now the russian ambassador to washington has warned there will be consequences after the u.s. led strikes on syria and literally said in a statement a predesigned scenario is being implemented again and we are being threatened we warn that such actions will not be left without consequences or responsibility for the rests with washington london and paris. now we have some more from russia this is the briefing given a short time ago at the russian defense ministry. usually someone who we or us

airplanes were used in fifteen sixteen plus all the planes of the u.s. over the u.k. tornado in the mediterranean. and also to the ships want to on to. your of u.s. forces from the red sea also bombed us fighter bombers being one. of those who flew over syrian territory in their region. which is controlled by usa. also. a series of syrian. war was bombed and the research centers were bombed because of the preliminary data the victims amount the citizens and. personnel there know of the camps legitimation will be clarified and of will be told to the people according to the information or used hundred three cruise missiles were used to school including tomahawk and i've also monitored

air bombs. for the planes be or and will be f. fifteen f. sixteen planes used missiles land soil also tornado or u.k. . they are. eight missiles what we use. and and also syrian. syrian forces they also repel some are so much a tax intercept so they want christmas as one to settle. war a today to syrian forces were used as twenty s. two hundred book yes square and different. it testifies to heights high effective effectiveness of the argument in syria and also excellent training of training of syrians prepared by our specialists according to russia has

fully restored the system of air defense of syria and going to continues to improve it over the last six months or a few years ago to take into account. these we refused to supply tools to syria of miss missiles as three hundred should take into account. or what has happened i consider desart to reconsider this issue not in respect to syria but also to respect other states. and the aims of the struct also the education basis of syrian forces. there the objective data you want to develop airport which you focus for me sinus or take apart here are said to me that twelve twelve missiles because they were all shot down with glory airport eighteen missile they will shut down sherrod airport twelfth missing us all

were shut down. and the air force didn't suffer any losses out of nine messiahs launched. two was amazing airport five missiles were shot down out of six to me sounds like games homes airport thirteen war destroyed there were no serious destructions but thirty me sounds good took part in the strikes in the objects and they were about the settlements but azhar and germany settlements seven missiles were shut down these objects allegedly had that had to do with a so-called worker with a chemical problem in damascus who are partly distraught passionate destroyed what well but they haven't been used for a long time and there was no other group and their russian forces of. war would have put into a. major combat different regime. but not all because

missiles. or. our air defense complexes what used. with think that this strike is not a response to the air last chemical attack. but is. against the armed forces of syria. when the strike is inflicted on the day one in damascus should start working a special mission on the investigation of the incident in dumas and and legit leave it allegedly chemical weapons were used then i want to call your attention that none of the objects on the production of chemical. weapons in syria don't exist and it was established by the going to session for the prevention of chemical weapons this is a fact of american aggression testifies about the interest of the usa to have an

objective investigation but an aspiration to what the process of the peaceful settlement and disability situation in the near east. and has nothing to do with the declared aims to fight international terrorism is assessed as calm as you can observe it in the real time regime on the screens. we can't only monitor the situation taking place there. the russian defense ministry there let's cross over to moscow correspondent. the americans and their allies continue to assess how they were or were not successful in the last few hours the russians certainly have the media as. i sometimes of getting that story across. yeah american officials call what we just heard there from the russian minister of

defense going through the tick tock of the you know the kind of catalog of technical details that they say they saw overnight in syria and the details that we just heard differ in several respects from what we're being told by the united states and its allies so for one thing the russians say they didn't put any of their missiles up into the sky but they were watching everything on the missile defense system they left it up to the syrian air defense to shoot down or intercepts all these cruise missiles that were coming in so the russians say that of one hundred three cruise missiles that were launched syria last night's seventy one of them were intercepted by syrian air defense now the interesting things they said that differ from the u.s. and his allies account is that they don't think perhaps that the french were as

involved as they say they were the russians suggest that they could see u.k. and u.s. cruise missiles coming in from tornado planes for the u.k. and also planes and warships from the u.s. side of things but they couldn't see the french actually launching any missiles they also say that the. targets are actually more extensive than the americans are suggesting the americans say they only launched missiles at three facilities connected with chemical weapons program of syria the russians say that actually six airfields were targeted as well and he went through the names there and he do mair do volleyball a. message in the homes but that most of the missiles were were incepted before they actually got to these airfields i have to say though the russian ministry of defense is not known for its particularly deft handling of the true. they have often misrepresented things in the past they've shown screen grabs from

computer games as proof of previous allegations they've used video that we're not what they said they were so we should certainly take what they're saying here with a pinch of salt of course we were expecting president putin to speak but he's actually gone to make his statement online what's he actually said. yeah it's a statement to be published on the current kremlin's web sites i haven't seen an english translation yet only the russian version the russian version though says. a lot of a lot of criticism but not very much actual. action that is being taken here so you know he's going through what has been happening is saying that yes again the united states like it did shire at airports a year ago has used toxic toxic substances against the civilian population stage

that as an excuse for air strikes that the united states and its allies should at least have waited for the o.p.c. w. chemical weapons experts on the ground in syria at the moment to do their investigation at duma. but that also the us the us the united states should have gone to the united nations security council to get approval for anything like this and of course they didn't do that therefore it's a it is breaking international law the only concrete action that we can see here in terms of russian pushback is calling for a u.n. security council meeting to condemn these attacks and if that's the case of that's all the russians are going to do i think it suggests that they're looking at what's happened over the last few hours and have made the calculation that it's a cost that they can bear they can deal with this that there were no russian assets hits there were no iranian assets hit the damage on the ground is minimal and that

considering how hot the talk was at the beginning of the week you know talking about you know an arms clash between the russians and the united states in syria that hasn't happened and that therefore this is a scraping fairly lightly for them and leave it there were thank you were a challenge there in moscow well in the last we've had a statement from the british prime minister to resign me she says there was no alternative way to stop the i said government from using chemical weapons. last night british french and american armed forces conducted coordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deter their use this was not about interfering in a civil war and it was not about regime change as i discussed with president trump and president back wrong it was a limited targeted and effective strike with clear boundaries that expressly sought to avoid escalation and did everything possible to prevent civilian casualties we

would have preferred an alternative path but on this occasion there is none we cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalized that embargo is a correspondent for us in london. theresa may had an assembled press corps there domestic and international took a lot of questions but faces the music on monday when she goes to parliament turn she said she will brief parliament she's not looking for a vote though. you know that's a crucial detail that will disappoint many people in the british parliament parliament's been in recess they're reconvening due to reconvene on monday into reason me and that press conference said that as you so she she she would brief parliament and we are expecting questions to to reason may but she has not promised a vote and that's something that many people have been pushing for in the last few

days as it became clear that the the stance of the u.s. government was hardening notably jeremy corbyn the leader of the opposition labor party said that parliament must be involved some of his m.p.'s as well as the opposition scottish nationalist party in westminster have been saying that to reason may in the run up to saturday's airstrikes have been waiting for instructions from donald trump and just in the last hour or so jeremy corbyn has put out a statement on facebook calling the action legally questionable and repeating that parliament should have been consulted to give its approval now on monday she will face a tough time but in that press conference to resume a outlining that she thinks that she made a strong enough case to her own cabinet when they greenlighted the action on thursday but also that there is strong enough evidence gathered by intelligence

agencies in the west she was talking about things like the fact that there was clear evidence that syrian government helicopters were over eastern ghouta and were seen dropping barrel bombs on the day when there were there was that alleged chemical weapons attack which killed so many civilians she did go into the the horrors that that were recorded now those scenes are something that the russian government has said were perhaps staged by britain and she called those allegations she called. ridiculous and they were they were really beyond the pale she also said that what happened on saturday morning involving ford british jets taking off from cyprus hitting targets near homs in syria and returning to base had to be done quickly a for the element of surprise if you like she said for operational reasons but also to guarantee the security of the british personnel world many skeptics will say

that what has been done will not in fact stop bashar assad from carrying out chemical weapons attacks in future if he wants to and this is going to prove crucial i think because theresa may has self admitted that a full assessment of the impact of those as strikes hasn't been carried out she believes they were successful russia saying most of the missiles launched in the early hours of saturday were taken out by syria's air defense so really do wait need to see how much of an impact they will have as to whether to resume a can can win the argument that look this was limited that it is effective and then it's not going to escalate tensions that's what she's saying many people here in britain a warning that it will escalate tensions in the region without some sort of long term diplomatic strategy for the moment we'll leave it there on the team of course come back to you as that situation develops from the british capital.

the burka is the director of the center for conflict and humanitarian studies of the doha institute for graduate studies and joins me here in the studio one of the interesting points that theresa may mentioned in her press conference was really justifying why her government and she had made that decision calling it legal and write the whole so norio of history in terms of chemical weapons of warfare in syria but also there's a big question mark over her for jean of the issue around the o.p.c. w. their investigation and it was mentioned that they hadn't declared. syria or given syria the green light as such in terms of it ever having removed all of its chemical weaponry and on the one hand she was referring to their report. a

few weeks ago which which says that syria may still have some chemical weapons stocks but on the other two days ago they were saying in the security council that the o.p.c. w is not independent sufficient sufficiently for them to take their report to sleep so there is a little bit of confusion here i think they are using the obviously devalue. the way they are their suits the objectives it is clear to me i think that there is a may has gone along with the. if the evidence was serious and exist i think she missed an opportunity to restore confidence in their public confidence in the military intelligence in britain and beyond britain versus iraq and then libya and so on we saw a real deterioration of confidence between the public and the intelligence in terms of britain and the iraq war and tony blair's approach that. continues to haunt the

psyche of the british yet if we look at the french model back role he's made his first really strong military decision how do you think that's going to impact say or the french the way that they then react to the russians in the long term and syrians i think it could actually backfire if the aapc w comes out in a couple free to say well we couldn't really find any trace of a chemical attack or it wasn't the sort of chemical attack that was described it could backfire in in france say the series of did a really good clear of job well it depends i mean it's very difficult the whole thing the whole show round capability that was described by by many you know the use of a helicopter or a barrel bomb chlorine it doesn't really add up to that sophisticated chemical weapon industry that exist we all know that syria had a program and it got dismantled a few years ago chlorine is one of the most commonly available chemical in all

countries and if it is a matter of a makeshift use of the this kind of for weapons i think we are into some very interesting. best a geisha as to what you make of the the russian media defense ministry being able to very accurately state as far as they're concerned whether you believe it a lot of rory said that they were able to tell the media this is what happened this is where the missiles did not go did not strike yet we haven't really heard from the pentagon yet because i still analyzing the results well there's a bit a little bit of muscle flexing i think between the two sides if what the russians what they say is is true that seventy percent of the missiles were intercepted then that is really to the credit of the technology weaponry of the russians of the russians that they have been able to. deflect seventy percent of the attack it's quite amazing. and the real sad story is the testing ground remains the

syrian ground and the syrian population that these two sides testing their abilities to to attack and counterattack and the real issue hasn't been addressed that the capability of assad to inflict damage on his population is probably stronger than before what hasn't killed you will make you stronger in this experience as far as i said this is concerned i think he will come out much more. strengthened as a result of this experience and he will probably push with you know full force against the opposition and elsewhere we will see what happens with the move itself of ok thank you for your things as. well let's all do joins me now from washington see washington d.c. gabriel you've managed to assess certainly what the president the defense secretary had to say in the really early hours of the attack although syria very cathal in

the choice of k. to the american people very quickly to explain the government's position. that's right it was just moments after the. airstrikes began in syria that president donald trump went on national t.v. to address the nation and really address the world for to tell everyone that these strikes have begun and why they have begun and then it was just under a little under an hour later that the pentagon came out specifically secretary of defense james mattis came out and gave more details laying out a case why the united states and their allies which they stressed over and over again that this was a joint operation with the french and with the english came out and why this was so necessary in the eyes of the united states and the pentagon make out very clearly and said that there were three target. that were hit all related to alleged

links to chemical weapons by the assad regime there but beyond that would not give any more details about what munitions were used how many were used. in anything the ike that they just said they targeted these three persists ific locations primarily because it did link directly to alleged chemical weapons uses and also that it was . areas that could be hit that could alleviate or had limited chance of causing civilian casualties and it's a little after five thirty in the morning here in the east coast the united states in the pentagon will have another briefing at nine am that's about three and a half hours from now we're expect to hear a lot more details after they've spent the night combing through all of the evidence and all of the after action reports to get a better sense of what the pentagon's stance is on how much damage was done under

schools as opposed to but it's only after that sort of assessment of the public in the u.s. decide whether this was a good move all along to the school's allows the political spectrum to wade in all the issue of debate as to whether the president had the right to do this or whether he should brought should have brought congress along with him. yeah that's right he did not get congressional approval and that's been one of the major criticisms of this air strike at least before we knew it was even going to be happening but i think there are certainly going to be people in legitimately saying that this is potentially an act of war these airstrike and and they did it without congressional approval that it's illegal internationally that's going to be one side of this debate without a doubt and i think that's why you saw the united states really push to bring in france and bring in the u.k. to make this more of a coalition. and rather than just

a unilateral strike like it was in april of two thousand and seventeen last year when the u.s. did it alone and only targeted one person particular airfield this time the u.s. did not do it alone did it with the coalition and that's why i probably saw a lot of people in the united states smiling even though a lot of sleep when they saw today's i'm a threesome a speaking there because it puts a more global perspective on this and i will say that i think a lot of americans average americans in this country were a little worried about their the war rhetoric that they've been hearing over the last twenty four to forty eight hours or so knowing that potential air strikes could be happening went to bed sleeping now going to be waking up most of america in the next couple hours or so going to be waking up to hearing the news that these airstrikes did occur and i think there will be probably a sigh of relief why because the worst case scenario has not happened in the worst case scenario was without

a doubt that russia would have retaliated directly against the united states and this could have escalated immediately into a war between russia and the united states that was a worst case scenario not only for the pentagon not only for the white house but for the average americans as well they're going to wake up and say boy thankfully that has not happened with a bit of good will leave the cool wait for more reaction the americans wake up and announce we get more political comment from east to west coast thank you. now is our correspondent in beirut and neighboring lebanon joins me now to say that we've been speaking to you throughout the morning since those since the attack actually happened getting reaction not only from within syria but also iran and of course where you are in lebanon let's begin with what you're hearing from damascus about their reaction to the attack by america and its allies and how they're responding to the apparent three locations that were targeted

well the message from the syrian capital is one of defiance after those strikes happened people took to the streets there were celebrations government supporters so the message was one of defiance the foreign ministry though condemning and calling this an aggression and syria the syrian government's allies and particularly iran also issued very harsh words not just the iranian foreign ministry we have the iranian supreme leader himself waiting in and condemning what they are calling this aggression not only the supreme leader the revolutionary guards as well and here in lebanon like you mentioned hezbollah which is iran's ally and they have thousands of troops in syria fighting alongside the syrian government they're all condemning what they're calling an aggression but they're not just condemning they're also warning of consequences because grand feels that this whole crisis really was aimed at the targeting iran.