Syrian military knew the US raid was coming and evacuated personnel and equipment: ABC News

[still_one]

Sec. of State Rex Tillerson revealed late Thursday that the U.S. warned Russia that they would be bombing the airfield in Homs, Syria since there was Russian military in the vicinity.

ABC News reported early Friday that the Syrian military seemed to know that something might happen. Eyewitnesses claim the military then evacuated personnel and moved equipment before the strike took place.

The United States dropped 59 Tomahawk missiles on the Shayrat airbase at approximately 8:40 p.m. EST. The bombs were aimed at refueling stations and aircraft. The Pentagon explained that the strike was aimed at preventing another chemical attack on Syrian civilians in the future.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/syrian-military-knew-the-us-raid-was-coming-and-evacuated-personnel-and-equipment-abc-news/?comments=disqus

[LaydeeBug]

1. so everyone knew except the US people. nt

[Jonny Appleseed]

2. So we just played cleanup crew for Assad who wanted to get rid of his chemical weapons?

Only cost us 60 million but whatever.

[dchill]

3. The whole operation was mere stagecraft meant only to distract.

It was just one mega-industrial Trump Tweet.

Edit to add: And it's working on the eager-beaver media.

[HoneyBadger]

4. So given that everyone knew about the first strike

Somebody should be leaking the next one by now? Anything else being moved?

[underthematrix]

5. Here's the timeline

April 29, 2011:

The U.S. puts sanctions on Syria's intelligence agency in response to the regime's crackdown on protesters during the "Arab Spring."

► Aug. 18, 2011:

President Obama — along with the leaders of Britain, France and Germany — calls for Assad to step down.

► Aug. 20, 2012:

Obama warns Assad the use of chemical or biological weapons would cross a "red line" for the U.S.

► Dec. 3, 2012:

Obama tells Assad: "The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable, and if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable."

► March 19, 2013:

More than two dozen people, including several Syrian soldiers, die in a sarin gas attack in northern Syria. The government and rebels each blame the other for the incident.

► June 13, 2013:

The White House announces U.S. intelligence believes Assad used chemical weapons and vows to increase military aid to the rebels.

►Aug. 21, 2013:

Hundreds of men, women and children are gassed with the banned nerve agent sarin in an attack near Damascus. The U.S. blames the Syrian government.

►Aug. 31, 2013:

Obama says he has authorized the use of force against Syria but will seek authorization from Congress before carrying out strikes.

►Sept. 27, 2013:

The U.N. calls on Syria to destroy its chemical weapons stockpile.

►Oct. 14, 2013:

Syria signs the Chemical Weapons Convention, strictly prohibiting chemical weapons.

►June 23, 2014:

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons says it removed the last of Syria's chemical weapons.

Chemical weapons expert wary of Syria

►Sept. 22, 2014:

The U.S. launches its first airstrikes against ISIS forces in Syria.

►April 2015

Syrian groups in Idlib province say barrel bombs containing chlorine were dropped.

►Oct. 30, 2015:

Obama authorizes the deployment of U.S. military advisers into Syria to combat ISIS.

►August and September 2016

Hospital officials and activists in Aleppo say chlorine gas is used in attacks.

►Feb. 28., 2017:

Russia and China veto a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing sanctions against Syria for chemical weapons use.

►April 4, 2017:

An attack on a rebel-held city in northern Syria kills at least 86 people, 27 of them children. Autopsies on three Syrians who died after being brought to Turkey for treatment suggest sarin was used in the attack.

So the Syrian govt supposedly not had chem weapons since 2014 and yet there have been chem attacks against the Syrian people AFTER the removal of such weapons. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/04/06/syria-conflict-timeline/100150344/

[still_one]

6. Thanks for the timeline

[phleshdef]

7. So we threw millions of dollars worth of missiles at an empty airfield? So much winning!

[davsand]

8. But wait! I thought the orange assailant never gave warning.

Remember how he brags that the never telegraphs battle plans in advance? It's been a pattern with him--a recurring theme. He just said it again a couple of days ago, in fact.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/10/04/is_there_anything_to_trump_s_assertion_that_we_re_giving_away_our_plans.html

and here:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/trump-i-dont-talk-about-military-response


So the bottom line, he brags repeatedly about not giving any warnings but CALLS in advance when an attack is planned? Does that sound right to you??



Laura

[GusBob]

9. Again with Russia? This love affair has got to stop

I mean really people are going to talk

When pillow talk gets spread around.....

[msongs]

10. link to abc news site - actual news not retread...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/eyewitness-syrian-military-anticipated-us-raid/story?id=46641107

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Thanks!

I'm not fond of lazy links to a news aggregate site - why not post the original story link?

[left-of-center2012]

11. Maybe Trump had to get Putin's OK

And give Syria time to relocate their troops, planes, and gas stockpiles.

[OnDoutside]

12. Is that what Erik Prince got agreement on in the Seychelles ? It was the first thing that

occurred to me as well.