Trump Orders Retaliatory Missile Strikes After Apparent Chemical Attack by Syrian Government

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States has launched precision strikes on targets associated Syria's chemical-weapons program.Speaking from the White House, Trump said a "combined operation" with France and the United Kingdom is underway.Trump said that last Saturday, Syrian President Bashar Assad deployed chemical weapons in what was a "significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime."Earlier Friday, Russia and Britain exchanged sharp accusations earlier Friday over the suspected poison-gas attack, and the U.S. Navy started to move an additional Tomahawk missile-armed ship within striking range.Trump tweeted two days ago that Russia should "get ready" because a missile attack "will be coming" at Moscow's chief Middle East ally. The presence of Russian troops and air defenses in Syria were among numerous complications weighing on Trump, who also had to consider the dangers to roughly 2,000 American troops in the country if Russia were to retaliate for U.S. strikes.  Continue reading...