I'M JOINED NOW BY MY COLLEAGUE, BRIAN WILLIAMS, HERE IN THE
STUDIO. >> RACHEL, THANKS.
WE'RE JUST LEARNING FROM OUR PRODUCERS AT THE PENTAGON THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A SIZABLE LAUNCH OF TOMAHAWK CRUISE MISSILES
TONIGHT. WE'RE TOLD OVER 50 OF THEM IN A
SINGLE VOLLEY HITTING TARGETS ON THE GROUND IN SYRIA.
OUR CORRESPONDENT, HANS NICHOLS IS READY TO TELL US WHAT THEY'VE
BEEN TOLD AT THE PENTAGON. >> Reporter: WE'RE STILL
LEARNING MORE ON THIS. HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW.
THERE HAVE BEEN TOMAHAWK CRUISE MISSILES FIRED OFF NAVY SHIPS IN
THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. THEY HAD A SINGLE TARGET.
THAT TARGET WAS AN AIRFIELD NEAR HOMS, A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CITY.
IT WAS AN AIRFIELD. LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE MORE THAN
50 IMPACTS. IT JUST LOOKS LIKE THE TOMAHAWKS
WERE FIRED. THE GOAL THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
TO POCK UP THE RUNWAY, MAYBE TAKE OUT SOME SYRIAN AIRCRAFT.
WE'RE LEARNING MORE AS WE SPEAK BUT THIS LAUNCH HAS HAPPENED
AGAINST THE REGIME OF SYRIA'S PRESIDENT BASHAR AL ASSAD.
THIS MARKS AN ESCALATION IN AN ALREADY VERY COMPLICATED WAR.
WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU WHEN WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
BRIAN? >> OKAY.
HANS, JUST ONE MORE POINT HERE. IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, I BELIEVE
WE HAVE THE "U.S.S. PORTER" AND "U.S.S. ROSS" THAT WOULD BE
READY TO FIRE MISSILES LIKE THIS.
EVEN THOUGH ALL OF OUR VESSELS OVER A CERTAIN SIZE AND
CERTAINLY ALL OF OUR NUCLEAR
SUBMARINES ARE POTENTIAL LAUNCHING PLATFORMS.
HOW BIG, HOW SMALL IS A VOLLEY OF 50 OF THESE CONSIDERING WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND-POUND
WARHEAD ON EACH? >> THE FACT THEY WERE JUST
TOMAHAWKS AND DIDN'T INCLUDE ANY FIXED-WING BOMBINGS GIVES YOU AN
INDICATION, BRIAN, THIS IS A
PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE. WHEN THERE HAD BEEN TALK ABOUT
THIS LEADING UP TO, THERE HAD BEEN A RANGE OF OPTIONS THE
PENTAGON HAD BEEN PREPARING. FAR END OF THE RANGE, DISABLING
THE ENTIRE ASSAD AIR FORCE. LOOKS LIKE THEY DIDN'T GO IN
THAT DIRECTION. LOOKS LIKE PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP ORDERED A MORE PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE, IT CAME
FROM THE TWO SHIPS YOU MENTIONED IN THE EASTERN MED, JUST
TOMAHAWKS. WE WANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE ARE
ALLY CONVERSATIONS WITH U.S. ALLIES IN THE COUNTER-ISIL
REGIME, AND CRUCIALLY IF THERE'S A CONVERSATION WITH THE
RUSSIANS. REMEMBER, THERE'S A
DECONFLICTION HOTLINE GOING ON RIGHT NOW FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST
ISIS. THAT'S THE OTHER ENEMY AND
ADVERSARY IN SYRIA AND THE RUSSIANS AND U.S. COUNTERPARTS
SPEAK ALL THE TIME ON THAT HOTLINE.
WHETHER OR NOT THE RUSSIANS WERE GIVEN A HEADS-UP, ANY SORT OF
TIP, THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR.
WE ALSO DON'T KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY CASUALTIES ON THE
GROUND, IF THERE'S BEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE CAN REPORT THE STRIKE HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED MOMENTS
AGO AND IT APPEARS IT'S OVER, THIS APPEARS TO BE A ONE-OFF
STRIKE. PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKING GOOD IN
RESTORING THIS IDEA OF CROSSING RED LINES.
DOING SOMETHING PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DIDN'T DO AND THAT IS
ATTACK THE REGIME OF BASHAR AL ASSAD.
BRIAN? >> SO, HANS, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE
LIMITED TO WHAT WE KNOW. FAR FROM REGIME CHANGE, FAR FROM
TARGETS ALL OVER THAT COUNTRY, THIS COULD TURN OUTN OUT TO BE
STRIKE ON THE AIR FACILITIES WHERE IT'S BELIEVED THE SARIN
GAS, SUSPECTED SARIN GAS, AIR STRIKE STARTED.
>> YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW THE SOURCE OF THE SARIN GAS.
WE HAVEN'T CONFIRMED THAT IT'S SARIN GAS BUT THIS WOULD BE THE
AIRFIELD FROM WHICH THE FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT THAT U.S.
RADAR CLEARLY SAW HIT THAT BUILDING ABOUT 72 HOURS AGO,
THIS IS THE AIRFIELD THAT THEY TOOK OFF FROM.
THAT GETS BACK TO THIS IDEA OF
PROPORTIONALITY.
I KNOW WE HEARD FROM SECRETARY MATTIS EARLIER TODAY TALKING
ABOUT THE IDEA UNDER WAY BEING AN EFFORT FOR REGIME CHANGE OR A
TRANSITION OF POWER FOR ASSAD. THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A STRONG
HINT THAT THE U.S. IS MILITARILY GOING TO GO IN THE DIRECTION OF
REGIME CHANGE. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT'S A
PROPORTIONAL RESPONSE AND ALSO THINK WE SHOULD NOTE, BRIAN, THE
SPEED WITH WHICH THIS HAPPENED. THE VELOCITY OF THIS RESPONSE.
JUST 72 HOURS AGO ON TUESDAY MORNING, DAWN IN SYRIA, THAT'S
WHEN THIS CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK HAPPENED.
72 HOURS LATER THERE'S A RESPONSE