Zerohedge’s article, “Syria Claims It Intercepted 71 Out Of 103 Cruise Missiles; Pentagon Denies” highlights the conflicting narratives as to the success of US missile strikes on Syria, coming out of the US Pentagon and the Russian Defense Ministry.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, most of the missiles launched by the US, UK and France had been intercepted by Syria’s air defenses. Employing Soviet-made S-125 and S-200 air defense systems as well as Buk and Kvadrat units, Syria reportedly shot down 71 of the 103 cruise missiles. These included 12 cruise missiles which had been headed toward the Dumeir military airfield – which was completely spared, thanks to the Syrian counterstrike.
The US target list included the following:
- 4 missiles were launched targeting the area of the Damascus International Airport. All these missiles were intercepted.
- 12 missiles were launched targeting the Al-Dumayr Military Airport. All these missiles were intercepted.
- 18 missiles were launched targeting the Bley Military Airport. All these missiles were intercepted.
- 12 missiles were launched targeting the Shayarat Military Airport. All these missiles were intercepted.
- 9 missiles were launched targeting the Mezzeh Military Airport. Five of them were intercepted.
- 16 missiles were launched targeting the Homs Military Airport. 13 of them were intercepted.
- 30 missiles were launched targeting targets in the areas of Barzah and Jaramani. Seven missiles were intercepted.
Predictably, the US offered a very different account of the airstrikes: During an early morning press conference, Lt. Gen Kenneth McKenzie said all of the missiles fired by the US and its partners landed.
“We are confident all our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie added that the Syrian government responded by recklessly firing 40 missiles, none of which struck military targets or intercepted the coalition’s missiles. “The Syrian response was ineffective in all domains,” he said. Not only was the Syrian counterattack ineffective, the US said the regime actually endangered its own people by firing the missiles blindly.
“When you shoot iron into the air without guidance, it’s going to come down somewhere,” McKenzie said.
Amusingly, the Pentagon added that it documented a 2,000% increase in disinformation by Russian troll farms over the past 24 hours, in response to a reporter question why the Pentagon has failed to provide any of the evidence it has that Assad was behind the chemical attacks.
Four top comments on Zerohedge call into question much of the claims made by the Pentagon.
Comment 1:
They strike “chemical weapons factories” and warehouses with missiles and are not concerned about releasing the poisonous agents into the surrounding area and killing thousands of people?
It tells us that they knew there was nothing in those targets.
And they did it the day before the chemical weapons inspectors were due to arrive and check things out on the ground.
Comment 2:
105 missiles fired – at supposedly only three(!!) targets?
Are you kidding me?
Obviously, IF they indeed fiored [sic] more than 100 missiles, then they wanted to hit dozens of targets. The question is: did they destroy them but do not want to brag about it since such a widespread attack can’t be justified with the chemical weapons containment narrative? And syria Russia may say nothing because it would be an embarrassing display of the failure of their air defenses?
Or did the syrians and Russians indeed manage to intercept or divert 70 % of those missiles? Which is why the Us only talks of three targets?
The latter seems way more plausible, but nobody can know for sure.
I wish some of these useless reporters would ever ask the clowns in D.C., how and why on earth they fired 100 missiles if they wanted to hit but three targets. I am not holding my breath.
Comment 3:
105 missiles fired – at supposedly only three(!!) targets?
3 missiles hit the chemical weapons factories the USA was unaware of for the last 7 years (in “freedom fighter held territory) until Assad loaded up an industrial sized compressed gas tank with Chlorine and dropped it from a helicopter through some poor slobs roof killing him as he slept in bed without destroying the bed.
The other 102 missiles went “off course” due to Russian jamming and hit the area of the alleged gas attack, leveling it, and making an investigation of the facts impossible.
Mission Accomplished!
Comment 4:
recklessly firing 40 missiles
Because how dare they defend against an atrack [sic].
That’s pretty fucking crazy to say.
2,000% increase in disinformation by Russian troll farms over the past 24 hours
And then you read that. Wew.
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