President Trump is considering a more forceful strike on Syria than a missile attack he authorized last year,
President Trump is considering a more forceful strike on Syria than a missile attack he authorized last year, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Administration officials expressed concern that an attack similar to the one launched last year would not be effective in deterring the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons, the Times reported.
Among the options being considered for a new retaliatory strike was a plan to hit multiple targets and launching a more prolonged attack, according to the newspaper.
The discussions between Trump and his advisers came a day after the president vowed to decide on a response to a suspected chemical weapons strike in the Damascus suburb of Douma within the next 48 hours.
The attack in Douma over the weekend left dozens dead and reignited international outrage over the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons.
In April 2016, Trump authorized a missile strike on a Syrian air base after a chemical attack in the country left more than 80 civilians dead.
But that missile strike caused only moderate damage. That fact has put Trump and his advisers in the position of weighing a more robust response to the recent attack in Douma.
Trump has recently expressed a desire to withdraw U. S. troops from Syria, and, according to the Times, is reluctant about the prospect of intensifying American involvement in the wartorn country.
At the same time, Moscow has warned that it could respond to a potential U. S. strike on Syria. Russian officials have denied that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, and has blamed militants in the region for seeking to frame Damascus.
