Despite the advance notice, Russia made no effort to shoot down the American missiles. What firepower is available? In addition to having two destroyers nearby, it is possible the US also has unacknowledged submarines positioned off the coast of Syria ready to fire satellite-guided, highly precise Tomahawk cruise missiles -- the very type of smart missiles the President tweeted about. The US also has stealth F fighter jets stationed in Qatar which could be used to evade the Syrian regime's Russian-made air defense systems, but the use of piloted aircraft comes with a substantial risk as those systems are considered very capable, Kirby said.
B-1 bombers are among the US Air Force fleet that could deployed long-range air-to-surface missiles. However, the US does hope French and British aircraft as well as ships will be part of the strikes as both nations continue to weigh the possibility of a joint response. Macron has said that any French strikes against the Syrian regime would target chemical facilities, and a British government official told CNN on Wednesday that preparations are being made by the United Kingdom for possible action but cautioned the political decision has not yet been made.
The Daily Telegraph in London reported Wednesday that May has ordered British submarines to move within missile range of Syria in readiness for strikes against the Assad regime that could begin as early as Thursday night.
Speaking in the British city of Birmingham on Wednesday, May said "all the indications" are that the Syrian regime was responsible for a chemical weapons attack in Douma, adding that the use of such weapons "cannot go unchallenged.
Russia has threatened to block international aid flowing into Idlib via the border crossing between Syria and Turkey at Bab al-Hawa, saying all aid should be distributed from areas controlled by the Assad government. The U. Search Search. Home United States U. Africa 54 - November 12, VOA Africa Listen live. VOA Newscasts Latest program. The Nimitz carrier group had been in the Indian Ocean, supporting U. Given the situation in Syria, U.
The Navy has also sent the USS San Antonio, an amphibious ship with Marines and extensive communications equipment on board, to join the five destroyers, diverting it from a previously scheduled mission that would have taken it farther west.
A second official said the San Antonio had been asked to serve as an afloat forward staging base, which could provide a temporary base for special operations forces, if they were needed. The Obama administration released evidence on Friday that it said demonstrated the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against civilians.
Officials cautioned the operation under discussion involved a limited, precise set of targets that would be of a short duration, unlike the broader campaign against Libya in March The U. Navy generally keeps three destroyers in the Mediterranean, but kept two additional destroyers there at the end of their deployments as the situation evolved in Syria over the past week.
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