THIS IS CBS NEWS NOW.>
LATE TONIGHT, THE U.S. DROPPED
60 CRUISE MISSILES ON A SYRIAN
AIRBASE.
THIS IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE
TO THE BRUTAL CHEMICAL ATTACK
ON SYRIAN CIVILIANS.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS
SPEAKING JUST MOMENTS IN PALM
BEACH.
THIS IS WHERE WE FIND OUR
COVERAGE. Reporter: IT WAS
RIGHT ACROSS THE WATERWAY WERE
ALL OF THOSE LIGHTS ARE AT
MERRILL LAGO WHEN THE PRESIDENT
SPOKE IS EVENING.
HE ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO
STRIKE SYRIA FOR THE CHEMICAL
OF THE TAX EARLIER THIS WEEK.
IT KILLED DOZENS AND INJURED
MORE.
IT OUTRAGED EVERYONE WHO SAW
THE AFTERMATH.
HE ORDERED THE AIRSTRIKES
BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE INTEREST
OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE
UNITED STATES.
THEY LAUNCHED BETWEEN 50 AND 60
CRUISE MISSILES.
THE PLANE CARRIED THE CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
THE CHEMICAL ATTACK IN NORTHERN
SYRIA EARLIER THIS WEEK WAS
ABOUT 50 MILES OR SO FROM THE
AIRFIELD ACCORDING TO CBS NEWS.
IT APPEARS THAT THOSE MISSILES
ALL LANDED WITHIN MINUTES OF
EACH OTHER.
WITH EACH MISSILE CARRYING A
1000 POUND BOMB.
IT WAS A COORDINATED ATTACK.
HERE'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID
ABOUT IT SHORT OF AGO. SYRIAN
DICTATOR, LAUNCHED A HORRIBLE
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK ON
INNOCENT CIVILIANS.
HE USED A DEADLY CHEMICAL.
HE HAD THE LIVES OF HELPLESS
MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN.
IT WAS A SLOW AND BRUTAL DEATH
FOR SO MANY.
EVEN BABIES WERE HURT.
IT WAS VERY BARBARIC. NO CHILD
OF GOD SHOULD EVER SUFFER SUCH
HORROR.
TONIGHT I WANT -- I ORDERED THE
TARGET MILITARY STRIKE ON THE
AIRFIELD IN SYRIA TO COUNTER
THE CHEMICAL ATTACK. IT WAS IN
THIS VITAL NATIONAL SECURITY
INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES
TO PREVENT AND DETER THE USE OF
DEADLY CHEMICAL WEAPONS.
THERE CAN BE NO DISPUTE THAT
SYRIA USED CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND
VIOLATED ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER
THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION
AND IGNORE THE URGING OF THE UN
SECURITY COUNCIL.
THERE WERE PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS.
THE ATTEMPTS HAVE ALL FAILED.
THEY FEEL DRAMATICALLY.
AS A RESULT, THE REFUGEE CRISIS
CONTINUES TO DEEPEN AND THE
REGION CONTINUES TO DESTABILIZE.
IT THREATENS THE UNITED STATES
AND ITS ALLIES.
TONIGHT A CALL AND ALL OF THE
CIVILIZED NATIONS TO JOIN US IN
SEEKING TO END THE SLAUGHTER
AND BLOODSHED IN SYRIA.
ALSO, TO AND TERRORISM -- TO
AND TERRORISM OF ALL KINDS --
TO FINISH TERRORISM OF ALL
KINDS AND TYPES.
WE FACE A CHALLENGE OF A VERY
TROUBLED WORLD.
WE PRAY FOR THE LIVES OF THE
WOUNDED AND FOR THE SOULS OF
THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED.
AND WE HOPE IT -- THAT AS LONG
AS WE STAND FOR JUSTICE, PEACE
AND HARMONY WILL IN THE END,
PREVAIL.
GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS AMERICA
AND THE ENTIRE WORLD. THANK YOU.
Reporter: THIS REPORT WENT
ON THE YOUR.
THE PENTAGON PUT A STATEMENT
OUT ABOUT THE AIRSTRIKES SAYING
THE AIRSTRIKE TARGETED AIRCRAFT
ANGERS AND FEEL STORAGE --
AIRCRAFT ANGERS AND FUEL
STORAGE.
THEY DO BELIEVE THAT THE
AIRSTRIKES SEVERELY DAMAGED AND
DESTROYED SYRIAN AIRCRAFT AND
SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURES.
RUSSIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE
GIVEN ADVANCED WARNING OF THE
AIRSTRIKES SO AS TO MINIMIZE
THE RISK TO ANY RUSSIAN AND
SYRIAN MILITARY PERSONNEL THAT
MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE WAY THERE.
NOW OF COURSE AS YOU CAN
IMAGINE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT
OF REACTION.
BILL NELSON SAID HE SUPPORTS
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DECISION AND
HOPES THE AIRSTRIKE TEACHES
THEM NOT TO USE CHEMICAL WECK
AND -- CHEMICAL WEAPONS AGAIN.
THE AIRSTRIKES ARE BEING CALLED
AS AN ACT OF AGGRESSION.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT
SYRIA HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
IN 2013, THERE WERE ACCUSATIONS
THAT SYRIA HAD USED CHEMICAL
WEAPONS ON IT OWN PEOPLE.
PRESIDENT OBAMA AT THAT TIME,
THREATENED MILITARY ACTION.
HOWEVER, THE SYRIAN PRESIDENT
AGREED TO GIVE UP HIS CHEMICAL
WEAPONS.
BACK THEN MISTER TRUMP, SAID
THAT GETTING INVOLVED WITH
SYRIA WOULD NOT BE A GOOD
DECISION.
EVEN JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, HIS
ADMINISTRATION SAID IT DID NOT
APPEAR THAT REGIME CHANGE IN
SYRIA WAS LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE
POLITICAL COMPLEXITIES THERE.
HOWEVER, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID
THAT AFTER SEEING THE VIDEO AND
THE FALLOUT FROM THE ATROCITY
OF THAT CHEMICAL ATTACK, HIS A
PATIENT --'S OPINION ON WHETHER