memeorandum: Trump launches military strike against Syria (CNN)

10:00 AM ET, April 7, 2017

Top Items:

U.S. Launches Missiles at Syrian Base After Chemical Weapons Attack — The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was the Syrian government's use of banned chemical weapons blamed for having killed at least 100 people on Tuesday …

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Why the Navy's Tomahawk missiles were the weapon of choice in strikes in Syria — The U.S. Navy launched more than 50 Tomahawk missiles early Friday at military targets in Syria in response to a chemical-weapons attack this week on civilians, relying on a mainstay weapon when the Pentagon wants to attack from a safe distance.

Discussion: National Review, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and Al Jazeera English

CNN:

Trump launches military strike against Syria — (CNN)The United States launched a military strike Thursday on a Syrian government target in retaliation for their chemical weapons attack on civilians earlier in the week. — On President Donald Trump's orders, US warships launched between …

Haider Newmani / ABC News:

Eyewitness says Syrian military anticipated U.S. raid — Syrian military officials appeared to anticipate Thursday's night raid on Syria's Shayrat airbase, evacuating personnel and moving equipment ahead of the strike, according to an eyewitness to the strike.

Discussion: Occupy Democrats

Matthew Cole / The Intercept:

U.S. WEIGHS “SATURATION STRIKE” AGAINST SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IN RESPONSE TO CHEMICAL ATTACK — The Pentagon has developed plans for an airstrike against Syrian government targets in response to this week's apparent chemical attack by Syrian government forces, according to two U.S. military officials.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Raw Story, Infowars, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Occupy Democrats, Mother Jones, Axios and Balloon Juice

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:

Rand Paul: Trump needs Congress to authorize military action in Syria — (R-Ky.) said Thursday night that President Trump needs congressional authorization for military action in Syria after Trump ordered an airstrike in retaliation for a deadly chemical attack earlier this week.

Discussion: RedState, Althouse, CNN, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Post, AOL, The Atlantic, NPR, The Daily Signal, The Week and National Review

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

U.S. Said to Weigh Military Responses to Syrian Chemical Attack — WASHINGTON — Senior Defense Department officials are developing options for a military strike in response to the Syrian government's chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, officials said on Thursday.

David Filipov / Washington Post:

Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement — MOSCOW — Russia on Friday condemned the U.S. missile strike against Syrian government forces as an attack against its ally, and said it was pulling out of an agreement to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents between U.S …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Monthly, The Root, Snopes.com, The Atlantic and Hot Air

Everett Rosenfeld / CNBC:

The US warned the Russians ahead of Syria missile strikes: Official — The U.S. warned the Russians before launching at least 59 tomahawk missiles aimed at Syria, NBC News reported, citing a U.S. official. — The strikes, which hit an airfield near Homs, struck aircraft and infrastructure including the runway, NBC reported.

Discussion: IJR, Daily Wire, Occupy Democrats, Towleroad and The Daily Beast

Ralph Peters / New York Post:
Trump shows we finally have a fearless leader back in the White House

Discussion: Instapundit

CBS News:
Watch Live: Trump orders airstrikes on Syria

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, CBS New York, Associated Press, KOIN-TV, The National Interest, WREG-TV, CBS Pittsburgh, twitchy.com, RedState, CBS Boston and Vocativ

Barbara Goldberg / Reuters:
Hillary Clinton calls for U.S. to bomb Syrian air fields

Discussion: Mediaite

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Trump at War

Discussion: Associated Press and The Moderate Voice

Jeffrey Goldberg / The Atlantic:
The Obama Doctrine, R.I.P.

Discussion: Axios

Kristina Wong / Breitbart:
Trump Orders Strikes Against Syrian Regime Airbase in Response to Chemical Attack

Discussion: France 24

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times:
Russia and Iran Condemn U.S. Strikes in Syria

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight, Business Insider, TheStreet and Washington Post

CNN:
Hillary Clinton: US should ‘take out’ Assad's air fields

Discussion: Washington Post, twitchy.com and TheBlaze

Laura Smith-Spark / CNN:
Russia condemns Syria missile strike ordered by Trump

Discussion: National Review, Washington Post, Vocativ and TheBlaze

David E. Sanger / New York Times: Striking at Assad Carries Opportunities, and Risks, for Trump

New York Times:
Mapping the Targets of the American Military Attack on Syria

Discussion: Washington Times, The Federalist, Vox, WTVR-TV and FOX6Now.com

Brooke Seipel / The Hill:
Tillerson: Strikes don't signal change in military action policy in Syria

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Associated Press and Arkansas Online

Matthew Haag / New York Times:
Trump's Far-Right Supporters Turn on Him Over Syria Strike

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications, Raw Story, The Week and CNN

Antony J. Blinken / New York Times:
After the Missiles, We Need Smart Diplomacy on Syria

Discussion: Just Security and ABC News

Andrew Exum / The Atlantic:
The Fight Against the Islamic State Just Got Harder

Discussion: CNN

Tara Fowler / ABC News:
Strike on Syria gets mixed reaction from lawmakers

Discussion: BizPac Review, Infowars and Associated Press

The Guardian:
Donald Trump launches 60 missiles in US strike after Syria chemical attack - live

Discussion: The Hill, ABC, Raw Story, Business Insider, Just Security, New York Times, Shadowproof and France 24

Los Angeles Times:
U.S. launches dozens of missiles in response to chemical weapons attack

Discussion: The Daily Caller and KTLA

Reuters:
Escalating U.S. role in Syria, Trump orders strikes on Assad airbase

Discussion: Hot Air, Fox News, Vox Popoli, Towleroad and The Daily Caller

Associated Press:
Trump, Xi meet again - in shadow of missile strikes on Syria

Discussion: Politico and ABC News

Max Greenwood / The Hill:
Lawmakers urge Trump to engage Congress on Syria

Discussion: Washington Post, Hullabaloo, Politico, RT, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, The Week and TalkLeft

Adam Kelsey / ABC News:
Hillary Clinton calls for strikes against Syrian airfields

Discussion: Washington Post

Axios:

Exclusive: Trump eyes new chief of staff; House Leader on short list — President Trump is considering a broad shakeup of his White House that could include the replacement of White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and the departure of chief strategist Steve Bannon, aides and advisers tell us.

Discussion: CNBC, Raw Story, The Hill, Political Wire, The Week, Politico and Hot Air

New York Times:

In Battle for Trump's Heart and Mind, It's Bannon vs. Kushner — WASHINGTON — Thick with tension, the conversation this week between Stephen K. Bannon, the chief White House strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, had deteriorated to the point of breakdown.

Discussion: Politicus USA and Gizmodo

Washington Post: Bannon wants a war on Washington. Now he's part of one inside the White House.

Asawin Suebsaeng / The Daily Beast:
Steve Bannon Calls Jared Kushner a ‘Cuck’ and ‘Globalist’ Behind His Back

New York Times:

Kushner Omitted Meeting With Russians on Security Clearance Forms — When Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, sought the top-secret security clearance that would give him access to some of the nation's most closely guarded secrets, he was required to disclose …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Occupy Democrats, Mediaite, The Slot, Raw Story and Political Wire

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Nuking The Filibuster May Hurt Republicans In The Long Run — The Supreme Court filibuster just died. Having failed to break a Democratic filibuster on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, Republicans voted 52-48 to invoke the so-called nuclear option …

Discussion: Bloomberg, USA Today, SCOTUSblog, Washington Post, Politico, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Washington Free Beacon, New York Times, The Atlantic, RedState, Sputnik International and NPR

Matt Lewis / The Daily Beast:

Trump Screws Up Glitz, Racks Up Wins — They don't hold Rose Garden signing ceremonies when a governmental regulation is repealed. But if they did, Donald Trump's still-nascent presidency would be getting a lot more respect. — While the media focuses on sexy topics—Russian spy intrigue …

Discussion: Instapundit, Heat Street, AOL, IJR and Washington Post

Eric Lichtblau / New York Times:

C.I.A. Had Evidence of Russian Effort to Help Trump Earlier Than Believed — WASHINGTON — The C.I.A. told senior lawmakers in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald J. Trump president, a finding that did not emerge publicly until …

Discussion: Daily Kos and Political Wire

Jose A. DelReal / Washington Post:

Trump asked African Americans what they had to lose. For this rural Kentucky community, the answer is tangible. — MOUNT STERLING, Ky. — Jolene Jouett took a short puff from her cigarette and looked out the window at the neighborhood she has known her entire life.