if they violate an ongoing partial truce . ( Carol Morello ) The Senate advanced a $ 1.1 billion Zika funding bill , clearing a key procedural step while House Republicans introduced vastly different legislation of their own . ( Kelsey Snell ) South Carolina lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting abortion after 19 weeks , becoming the 17th state to pass the restrictive ban .
Facebook Email “ It is absolutely outrageous – though not surprising – that the Syrian government has continued to bombardconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand starve its own civilians . And it is unacceptable that the UN and other influential international players are not doing more to address the critical situation in Daraya and other besieged locations . ” Imprecise barrel bombs
Syria 's military declared the ceasefire over last Monday , after a weekend strike by US - led coalition warplanes on a Syrian army post killed dozens of troops . The US military did not dispute the strike , but characterized it as " unintentional " and relayed its " regret " to Syria through Russia , saying the intended target had been ISIS . Shortly after the ceasefire ended , a UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent aid convoy was hit in an airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike, killing about 20 people . US officials blamed Russia , while Moscow denied that Russian or Syrian warplanes were responsible . Hospitals overwhelmed
This year , the Defense Department launched into full - on cyberwar against the Islamic State , promising to disrupt the group ’s propaganda , internal communications , and basic functions like payroll . The campaign marks the first time the Pentagon has publicly announced that it ’s using its own cyberweapons to go after an adversary — previous attacks , like the Stuxnet worm that targeted Iranian nuclear centrifuges , were conducted in secrecy . But as reported by The Washington Post , the operation , which would support the U.S.-led coalition ’s airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikecampaign , has gotten off to a slow start , as the Pentagon hires up for the effort and stockpiles weapons to use against the group . Of course , this is a whole lot more detail than Trump was ready or willing to take on in his interview this week . Political analysts , security experts , and even the nominee ’s own ghostwriter are wringing their hands over the thought of the lasting , catastrophic damage Trump could inflict with access to the U.S. nuclear arsenal .
Hijab called the strikes in Ain Jara a " massacre " and ruled out any negotiations for peace with the Syrian government while there were still " foreign forces bombing the Syrian people . " Russian planes have hammered rebels and rebel - held areas since September in a clear effort to shore - up President Bashar Assad 's beleaguered military , which had been losing ground to the opposition prior to Moscow 's intervention . Russia insists it chooses its targets carefully to avoid civilian casualties , but rescuers on the ground , human rights groups , and Western governments have all chastized Moscow for bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikecrowded public places in opposition territory since its campaign in Syria began . The U.S. says Russia 's strikes use far less precise weaponry than the missiles launched by the American - led coalition fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ) . Both sides , however , have been accused of killing civilians .
Over 60 civilians have been killed and at least 200 injured during three days of US - led coalition airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon residential areas in Mosul , the Russian military reported . “ There were numerous attacks of the US - led coalition targeting residential areas , schools , and other civilian objects both in Mosul and in other parts of the Iraqi Nineveh Governorate , ” Gen. Sergey Rudskoy , head of Operations in the Russian General Staff , told journalists on Tuesday . “ We are closely monitoring the situation around Mosul .
Photos : The ISIS terror threat Shiite fighters , fighting alongside Iraqi government forces , fire a rocket at ISIS militants as they advance toward the center of Baiji , Iraq , on Monday , October 19 . Hide Caption 12 of 68 Photos : The ISIS terror threat Smoke rises above a damaged building in Ramadi , Iraq , following a coalition airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeagainst ISIS positions on Saturday , August 15 . Hide Caption 13 of 68 Photos : The ISIS terror threat Iraqi men look at damage following a bomb explosion that targeted a vegetable market in Baghdad on Thursday , August 13 .
“ Trump channels Obama policy on Syria . ISIS the threat , Russia and Iran part of the solution , ” the conservative foreign policy theorist Walter Russell Mead tweeted during the debate . The deal , which required that Assad halt airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeagainst civilian areas in places like Aleppo , quickly collapsed and the U.S. and Russia have cut off formal dialogue about Syria . Authors :
“ They are in such a defensive mode right now , it ’s sad , ” said Randa Slim , a scholar of post - conflict reconciliation at the Middle East Institute . “ They are more trying to spin the positive of their inaction than confront the true inaction . ” Obama issued his “ red line ” warning to Assad in 2012 , which was widely seen as a pledge that the U.S. would be ready to launch airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestriketargeting the Syrian government . After it became clear that Assad had used sarin gas to kill hundreds of Syrians in 2013 , Obama openly debated such strikes . Ultimately , he backed off the idea , and his administration instead pursued the diplomatic route – working with Assad ’s ally , Russia — to try to purge Assad ’s stockpiles of chemical weapons .
" Neighborhoods have been erased completely . Now as I talk to you , the aircrafts are in the sky . " Another worker with the group said he does not trust the Syrian and Russian forces to stop bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikethe area . " In a few days , they will bomb us , bomb everything and kill everything like yesterday , " said Ismail Abdullah . In early October , Putin exacerbated the rift over Syria by suspending a key post Cold - War agreement with Washington over disposal of nuclear weapons accusing the US of failing to eliminate tons of weapons - grade plutonium and “ unfriendly acts toward Russia . ”
Israeli archaeologists found the site of a fierce battle where the Roman army bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand breached the walls of Jerusalem before conquering the city and destroying the Second Temple almost 2,000 years ago , officials said Thursday . They said that the discovery , made last winter during an excavation of a construction site for the new campus of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design outside the Old City , also finally confirmed the description of the wall that was breached provided by the historian Josephus Flavius . During the dig , the archaeologists found the remains of a tower surrounded by scores of stones and boulders fired by Roman catapults at the Jewish forces guarding the wall , the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement .
Photos : Heartbreaking images following Aleppo airstrike A Syrian family leaves the area following a reported airstrike on Friday , September 23 , in rebel - held east Aleppo . Following the airstrike , recovery teams from Syria Civil Defense , known as the White Helmets , began working to free the trapped and recover the dead , including small children . Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos : Heartbreaking images following Aleppo airstrike Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos : Heartbreaking images following Aleppo airstrike This photo was released by the volunteer group Syria Civil Defense of the bodies of a man , with his knee pulled up near his face , and a child covered in dust after they were killed in the airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos : Heartbreaking images following Aleppo airstrike The volunteers work to recover the bodies the man and child . Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos : Heartbreaking images following Aleppo airstrike A Syrian man carries the body of his nephew , recovered from the rubble .
A damaged building is pictured after an airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon the rebel held al - Fardous neighbourhood of Aleppo , Syria February 18 , 2016 . REUTERS / Abdalrhman Ismail BEIRUT Syria 's army and allies , backed by Russian air strikes , recaptured 18 villages from Islamic State fighters in eastern Aleppo province on Saturday , a monitoring group said .
Danish planes have conducted strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq since voting to join the U.S.-led coalition in Sept. 2014 , but Friday ’s announcement marks the nation ’s first declaration of activity in Syria . In April , Denmark said it would increase its involvement in the coalition ’s effort by sending seven F-16 jets , a transport aircraft and military personnel to assist the Syria campaign . The multi - sided war in Syria raged on as Denmark announced its increased activity , with Aleppo surrounded by pro - government forces and bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeby Russian airstrikes . On Friday , Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for the resumption of peace talks .
Like Russia they did n’t bomb the hospital in Aleppo , but they ’re part of a coalition with the Syrian government that is doing that . “ Maybe we should use the format of an open letter to the president of China saying , as the only remaining permanent member of the security council who is currently not bombing anyone , could you please remind your colleagues ? ” In February , an MSF report identified 94 airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand shelling attacks on hospitals across Syria . In February last year , the NGO Physicians for Human Rights said it had documented 224 attacks on 175 health facilities since the start of the conflict , and 599 medical personnel had been killed . Why is Britain still selling Saudi Arabia arms to use in Yemen ?
More than 35 square miles of jihadi land have been regained by the Moscow - backed anti - extremist coalition . Strategically vital Rabia was one of 28 towns which fell to the Syrian army , the Russian Defence Ministry said . The Kremlin claims almost 500 terrorist targets in Syria were hit by Russian airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeover the weekend , with 169 sorties flown between January 22 - 24 . Airstrikes against ISIS Sat , February 27 , 2016 British , French , Russian and US forces launch air strikes around the world . Play slideshow 1 of 63 Russian army carried out an airstrike in Damascus
In February , a cessation of hostilities negotiated between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov fell apart within weeks , and efforts to reach a political settlement in the war - torn country have been on the verge of collapse . Syrian men evacuate a victim from the rubble of a building following an airstrike on the rebel - held northwestern city of Idlib on September 10 , 2016 . People search for victims at the scene of the airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike. Skepticism over deal After five years , Syrians are weary of a war that has left more than 250,000 dead and forced nearly 5 million to flee the country .
U.N. chief Ban Ki - moon described the conditions in eastern , rebel - held Aleppo as worse than a “ slaughterhouse ” at a Security Council meeting . “ Those using ever more destructive weapons know exactly what they are doing - they know they are committing war crimes , ” Ban said , without naming any countries . Syria ’s government is waging a major offensive in Aleppo and both Syria and Russia are carrying out airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon the city. Doctors Without Borders , which supported both of the hospitals damaged Wednesday , said a “ brutal and relentless onslaught from air and land ” has left eastern Aleppo with just seven surgical doctors to treat a population of some 250,000 . The head of the organization , also known by its French acronym MSF , said people are being taken off life support because of a “ multitude ” of wounded , and doctors in eastern Aleppo are left to “ await their own deaths . ”
Dr Abdul Aziz ( pictured flanked by colleagues ) , a surgeon working in Syria , said his patients and colleagues are being deliberately targeted by Russian air strikes , even after the internationally brokered ceasefire MI6 and British police are investigating alleged attacks on civilians by Russian war planes in Syria . Flames are pictured rising after the Russian army carried out airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon two hospitals in Aleppo , Syria , last December In his first interview since the attack , Dr Aziz said : ‘ It was horrific , terrifying . People were screaming and crying , the hospital was ablaze and the place filled with dense smoke and nobody could see .
He also greeted U.S. and NATO troops to thank them for their service . Nicholson 's predecessor , Gen. John Campbell , suggested as he was leaving the post that the United States may have to leave a larger presence to train and assist Afghan forces , as well as dial up pressure on the Taliban with airstrikes . Current rules of engagement only allow U.S. commanders to call in airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestriketo protect NATO troops and Afghan forces in imminent danger of being overrun by the Taliban . They can target al Qaeda and ISIS militants but can not conduct airstrikes against the Taliban unless they pose a direct threat to NATO or Afghan forces . Campbell told reporters that in order to drive the Taliban toward reconciliation , " They need to have more pressure put on them and one way to do that would be potentially striking them . "
“ The Saudi - led coalition must move forward now on its commitment to investigate this incident , ” Dion said in a statement on Sunday . He added , “ Canada calls on all parties in Yemen to avoid an escalation of violence as a result of this incident . ” Yemeni rescue workers pull out a victim from amid the rubble following a Saudi airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeagainst a packed funeral site in the capital , Sana’a , October 8 , 2016 . ( Photo by AFP ) “ Canada urges all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law , and to commit to political dialogue and to a lasting cessation of hostilities to halt the tragic loss of civilian life , ” the Canadian foreign minister said .
Separately , rebel leaders told reporters that they would not accept emergency medical evacuations if food and medicine were not also delivered to people trapped inside . United Nations officials have said that forcing people to leave their homes in order to receive aid is against international law . But in practice , the government has taken back a number of areas with starve - or - surrender tactics , bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand starving people until they agree to leave . In any case , without guarantees and a halt to shelling and shooting by all sides , aid agencies can not begin to provide the medical evacuations and humanitarian aid deliveries to eastern Aleppo that United Nations officials said they would aim to carry out after Russia agreed to extend its cease - fire . Advertisement Continue reading the main story
July 2012 : The battle for Aleppo begins . Rebels make swift advances , but are unable to consolidate their gains and the city becomes divided 2013 : The government begins bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikerebel districts with barrel bombs , causing thousands of casualties September 2015 : Syria launches a fresh offensive in the wake of Russia 's intervention in the conflict February 2016 : The government captures towns north of Aleppo , threatening to encircle the city
More than 100 countries have signed a treaty to ban their use . Human Rights Watch , as well as many US and other officials , have accused Russia of using cluster bombs as it supports the Syrian regime . The regime -- backed by Russian air power -- has intensified its airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon Aleppo in recent days and appears to be deliberately targeting hospitals . JUST WATCHED Syrian girl tweets from inside Aleppo Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Syrian girl tweets from inside Aleppo 02:48 Now there are only five hospitals left in the area , and they 're swamped with casualties .
General Ali Abdullah Ayyoub , Assad ’s chief of general staff , visited the frontlines near Aleppo on Monday to inspect the troops ’ preparations . At least 250,000 people have been killed across Syria during the five - year conflict , with some monitoring groups claiming the death toll may be double that . UN investigators yesterday announced that more than 700 doctors and medical workers had been killed during the conflict , many of them in airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike. “ As civilian casualties mount , the number of medical facilities and staff decreases , limiting access to medical care even further , ” Paulo Pinheiro , head of a commission of inquiry into the Syrian conflict , told the UN Human Rights Council . “ With each attack , terrorised survivors are left more vulnerable .
This is clear from her response to ABC reporter Martha Raddatz ’s painfully loaded question about the Syrian conflict . With Raddatz going on about the hundreds killed by the evil twins , Bashar al - Assad and Putin and even tossing in the Holocaust for good measure , Clinton saw no reason to hold back : “ Well , the situation in Syria is catastrophic and every day that goes by we see the results of the regime – by Assad in partnership with the Iranians on the ground , the Russians in the air – bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeplaces , in particular Aleppo where there are hundreds of thousands of people , probably about 250,000 still left , and there is a determined effort by the Russian air force to destroy Aleppo in order to eliminate the last of the Syrian rebels who are really holding out against the Assad regime . “ Russia has n’t paid any attention to ISIS . They ’re interested in keeping Assad in power .
In east Aleppo , a Russian - declared " humanitarian pause " began Thursday , which Russia says will allow rebels and civilians to leave rebel - held sections of the city during daytime for three days . The Russian Defense Ministry unexpectedly announced the pause Tuesday after a weeks - long bombardment of the Syrian city . The airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand the rising death toll received fierce criticism from Western powers . JUST WATCHED Ghostly new video shows Aleppo in ruins Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Ghostly new video shows Aleppo in ruins 01:06 There have been no airstrikes in the city since dawn Tuesday , Aleppo residents told CNN .
Thousands of Syrian government troops had defected by then , joining ragtag brigades of local farmers , students , and hairdressers . Some fighters made their own explosives and launched grenades from giant slingshots . The Syrian Army bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikewhat little territory these rebels controlled . Several of the activists attending the training session in Istanbul lived in besieged areas ; Wiley and his colleagues taught them to photograph and measure artillery craters , assess angles of impact , collect shell fragments , identify the types of weapon used , and calculate launching points . But , he said , “ the big thing we wanted them to focus on was documentation generated by the regime , ” which he called “ the king or queen of evidence in international criminal proceedings . ”
Seconds later they freed him , bloodied but still breathing . In another they dug frantically for a baby , but it was too late when they got to the child . CBS News ca n't independently verify the videos , but they appear to show the Syrian regime 's new offensive in Aleppo Province , which is backed by Russian airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike. Hassan Haj Ali is a rebel commander who told us his men have received weapons from the U.S. and are trying to fight off the assault . " When the regime kills women and children , " he said , " they 're telling Syrians to get out of rebel - held areas . "
In fact , it was a FSA soldier who cut out the liver of a Syrian man and ate it live on video . It became such an international sensation , that a well known British journalist was sent to Syria to personally interview the “ moderate cannibal ” . On March 21 , 2014 at 6 am , the Turkish military began using heavy canons to bombardconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeKessab . The unarmed civilians were fast asleep in their own beds . The Turkish military helicopters began shooting rockets at the light contingent of Syrian Arab Army soldiers stationed there .
Israel will be able to evade the S-300 when it receives its first fifth - generation F-35s in December 2016 but the F-35 can not carry the GBU-28 bunker buster . Bunker busters for the F-35 are under development but are many years away from deployment . I believe these factors indicate Iranian leaders are contemplating violating or terminating the JCPOA in the short to medium term by resuming uranium enrichment at Fordow and want to prevent Israel from responding with airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeand discourage the United States from doing so . When would Iran do this ? Certainly not before Barack Obama leaves office because Tehran is using the Obama administration ’s desperation to protect the president ’s legacy nuclear deal to exact more concession from the United States .
Syrian talks in Lausanne , Switzerland involving 20 nations ended with zero agreement reached ( other than be open to meeting at an undisclosed hypothetical future time ) . US et al versus Russia et al are deadlocked completely at odds with each other as US Empire is unwilling to pursue diplomatic channels with Russia to prevent the larger war . The US led coalition airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeon Syrian soldiers last month proved that much in reality . At this point Russia does not trust the West and for good reason . Russia 's preparedness for nuclear war
The U.S. said Russia was responsible for the airstrike , while Moscow vehemently denied any involvement . The Russian Defense Ministry flatly rejected suggestions that its forces were behind the attack on the convoy . " Russian warplanes did not plan and did not deliver any airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikein the area of Urum al - Kubra , " a spokesman told NBC News via email , referring to the town near Aleppo where the convoy was hit . " They were not in the area at all . " Lt . Gen. Igor Konashenkov added that a U.S.
By creating a " smoke curtain " they hope to impede visibility from warplanes that have been carrying out bombing raids . Image copyright unknown Image caption Children in Aleppo with a pile of burning tyres behind them Rebel - held parts of Aleppo have been heavily bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikerecently by pro - government forces . Rebels have launched an offensive to try to break a government siege . Russia is a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al - Assad and is supporting pro - government forces with air strikes .
On Sunday evening , the leader of Yemen ’s Houthi Ansarullah movement condemned the Saudi funeral attack , saying the assault points to the frustration of the United States and the Saudi regime in the war on the impoverished Arab country . The US has been supporting the Saudi regime in the war on Yemen . Abdul Malik al - Houthi said Saudi Arabia and its regional allies would not have carried out the Saturday airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeif they had not received the green light from Washington . This photo provided by the media bureau of Yemen ’s operations command shows a Scud - type Borkan-1 ( Volcano-1 ) missile . Meanwhile , Yemeni army forces have launched a locally - designed and -manufactured Borkan-1 ( Volcano-1 ) ballistic missile toward an area deep inside Saudi Arabia in response to Riyadh ’s atrocious aerial attacks against the country .
Video : UN says Aleppo suffering ' new height of horror ' Meanwhile , Mr Rycroft , Ms Power and French ambassador Francois Delattre walked out of the Security Council when Syria 's ambassador was called to speak - in a show of anger and frustration by the West . Syrian rebels had declared the push for peace " futile " after Syrian government and Russian warplanes bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeAleppo in the worst surge of violence in the city for years . The 30 rebel groups - including the biggest faction backed by Turkey , Gulf states and the West - said the bombing campaign was " unprecedented " , with more than 200 killed in recent days . Efforts to revive such an agreement are now a lost cause unless there is an immediate end to fighting and aid is forthcoming , rebels said .
It basically has fallen , ” Trump said . Then he quickly changed the subject to wonder aloud why the Iraqi government does n’t do a “ sneak attack ” to liberate Mosul , it ’s second largest city . The Assad regime and its Russian partners are bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeeastern Aleppo each and every day in a brutal campaign to crush the opposition under siege there by terrorizing the civilian population . The U.S. government and international experts agree Syria and Russia are committing war crimes there . For Trump to deny that any hope exists for the people of Aleppo to resist this onslaught amounts to turning a blind eye to the ongoing atrocities .
The Russian and Syrian militaries say they will observe a " humanitarian pause " between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 20 to allow civilians and militants safe passage out of the city . A U.S. State Department spokesman said the eight - hour pause " would be a good thing , " but cautioned that " it 's a bit too little , too late . " Spokesman Mark Toner , speaking to reporters in Washington , said the people of Aleppo " have been subjected to near constant bombardment and airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike" that have killed many civilians and leveled much of the city 's civilian infrastructure . He said the goal is " to starve out and to drive out the opposition and civilians who 've held on there for so long . " Earlier this month , the United States suspended talks with Russia over the Syrian war and said that Moscow was committing war crimes by engaging in indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Aleppo .
Hassan Haj Ali is a rebel commander who told us his men have received weapons from the U.S. and are trying to fight off the assault . " When the regime kills women and children , " he said , " they 're telling Syrians to get out of rebel - held areas . " As the regime and Russia bombardconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeAleppo Province , the battlefield there has become even more chaotic . Now there 's evidence that groups supported by the U.S. have started to fight each other as they vie for territory . Hassan Haj Ali , along with other U.S .- backed commanders , said they 're clashing with Kurdish fighters -- and the Kurdish group also receives American support .
Turkish warplanes killed 20 Daesh terrorists and destroyed three buildings as well as a vehicle and a motorcycle of the terror group in northern Syria late on Saturday , the Turkish General Staff said on Sunday . The warplanes bombardedconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeDaesh targets south of Tell al Hawa in northern Syria between 7:38 – 7:44 p.m. local time , the written statement said . The region lies to the east of the town of Al - Rai . The airstrike that came less than two days before a U.S.-Russia agreement on a ceasefire in Syria takes effect .
" In all of the cases released today , assessments determined that although the strikes complied with the law of armed conflict and all appropriate precautions were taken , civilian casualties unfortunately did occur , " it said . The casualties occurred between Sept. 10 , 2015 , and Feb. 2 , 2016 , according to the U.S. military . A majority of the dead came from two families wiped out in the airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrike. The news comes a day after it was revealed that the U.S. has relaxed rules of engagement designed to reduce the risk of civilian casualties as part of its air war against the Islamic State group . According to USA Today , the Pentagon last fall began allowing lower - level commanders to call in airstrikes that threaten to kill innocents and attacks that entail " the probability of 10 civilian casualties are permitted , " the paper reported .
The French foreign minister has said he will ask the International Court of Justice to investigate possible war crimes in Syria . " We do not agree with what Russia is doing , bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikeAleppo . France is committed as never before to saving the population of Aleppo , " Jean - Marc Ayrault said . France and Spain drafted a resolution on resurrecting an agreement on cessation of hostilities in the Syrian conflict which was put before a vote at the UN Security Council on Friday .
A woman walks through rubble after airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikein the rebel - held Syrian town of Dael on Friday . ( Alaa Al - Faqir / Reuters ) Questions about how and when a Syrian truce will be implemented deepened skepticism that the cease - fire will work , as Russian and Syrian warplanes on Friday sustained their relentless bombardment of rebel - held territory in the country .
It ’s the epicenter of the refugee crisis . ” “ Got it , got it , ” Johnson said , before outlining his policy on the Syrian civil war , which includes “ joining hands with Russia to diplomatically bring the civil war to an end . ” The last rebel - held hospital in Aleppo was destroyed by a Russian airstrikeconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikelast month . Hillary Clinton could n’t resist piling on during a press conference Thursday morning . “ Well , you can look on a map and find Aleppo , ” she said .
However , both Moscow and Tehran held out the possibility it might happen again . The potential of repeating this episode is part of what prompted the GOP senators to send the letter . “ We should be using all available tools to dissuade Russia from continuing its airstrikesconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikein Syria that are clearly not in our interest , ” the senators wrote . Beyond that , letter author Barrasso blames Obama for “ telegraphing weakness ” to “ macho men leaders around the world ” like Russian President Vladimir Putin who believe they can take actions detrimental to U.S. interests without ramifications . “ Russia has played a very weak hand extremely well , and I think President Obama has played a very strong hand very poorly , ” Barrasso said .
When Russian aircraft bombed a remote garrison in southeastern Syria last month , alarm bells sounded at the Pentagon and the Ministry of Defense in London . The Russians were n’t bombardingconflict.attack.airstrikemissilestrikea run - of - the - mill rebel outpost , according to U.S. officials . Their target was a secret base of operations for elite American and British forces . In fact , a contingent of about 20 British special forces had pulled out of the garrison 24 hours earlier .