How Turkey's 'hasty' support for US missile strike could backfire
Turkey's rash decisions about Syria could make it appear fickle to both Russia and the United States.
The physical damage the United States inflicted on a Syrian air base last week wasn't extensive, but there are significant repercussions.
The United States said it launched the April 7 attack — its first ever in Russian-dominated airspace — because just days before an Su-22 aircraft from the base had dropped chemical warfare bombs on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing civilians, including many children.
The Syrian gas attack ostensibly was targeting rebel opponents of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that has lasted more than six years. The April 4 bombing killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. Syria denies it used chemical weapons in the attack.
Two US Navy destroyers deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea hit Syria’s Shayrat air base with 59 BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Reports said the missiles hit about 20 aircraft on the ground, some hardened aircraft shelters, maintenance facilities and an ammunition depot.
