Syrian army stuns world with air defense

The attacks by the US, France and UK consisted of over a hundred missiles, were carried out without UN Security Council approval and are illegal in international law.

More than 100 cruise and air-to-surface missiles were launched at “civilian and military facilities” in Syria on April 14 in line with US President Donald Trump’s order.

The US warships Porter, Cook and Higgins carried out the attack from the Red Sea, while the French and UK fighters Mirage and Tornado, respectively, interacted with the US bombers B-1 over the Mediterranean Sea.

Only three targets in Syria were pinpointed, said the Pentagon, including the Barzah Research and Development Center, Him Shinsar Chemical Weapons Facility and the Him Shinsar Chemical Weapons Bunker Facility. The Pentagon showed before and after photos of each target.

The Russian and Syrian forces had been warned in advance by the French so people and equipment could be moved. The Russian forces did not directly respond as their areas in Syria were not targeted.

At least six airports in Syria were targeted according to a Russian report. The Pentagon reports no strike on Syrian airports.

The Syrian air defense managed to shoot down or divert 71 of the incoming missiles before they reached their target. The Pentagon claims that none of its missiles were destroyed or diverted from its aim. A well known Syrian opposition outlet disagreed with the Pentagon’s claim:

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights managed to monitored interception by the regime forces to tens of missiles which targeted their positions and military bases in the Syrian territory, where several intersected sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory, that the number missiles that were downed, exceeded 65 missiles …

A 70 percent air defense success rate against incoming missiles is quite stunning. Most of these incoming projectiles were disabled by the Russian the Pantsir-S1 systems supplied to Syria.

Every Syrian military airport is now protected by such short range systems and while eight were targeted only one was hit. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Syrian army intercepted 71 cruise missile out of 103, including all that had been fired at Dumayr military airport located 40 kilometers north-east of Damascus.

The Pentagon nevertheless hailed the bombing as a “success”, saying that three sites, which it claimed were used to produce chemical weapons, were destroyed by over a hundred missiles.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White and Joint Staff Director Lieutenant General Kenneth F. McKenzie said during a press briefing that the attack had “dealt a severe blow” to the Syrian authorities. McKenzie called the operation “precise, overwhelming and effective.”

“The Syrian response was ineffective in all domains,” McKenzie claimed. Reports from Syria have however contradicted his statement.

“This is the alleged chemical research and production facility in #Damascus! All chemical particles suddenly disappeared with absolutely no contamination nearby! Another solid proof of the triad of terror lies,” said Syrian MP for #Aleppo, @ShehabiFares. #Syria pic.twitter.com/O0rZAeguyS

— Paul Antonopoulos (@oulosP) April 14, 2018

When asked why the strikes on Syria took place before the OPCW experts were able to finish their investigation into the claimed gas attack, the Pentagon said: “Let’s remember that OPCW and others have been blocked from entering Ghouta and Douma. That’s because of the Assad regime.” The statement is an outright lie.

Investigators from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will continue their work in Syria despite the US-led missile attacks, the organization reported on Saturday.

“The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will continue its deployment to the Syrian Arab Republic to establish facts around the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma,” the OPCW noted.