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Earlier this week, a chemical weapons attack killed more than 70 civilians in Syria. Today, the United States retaliated with a missile strike on a Syrian air base.
It's America's first attack on the Syrian Government and it could complicate its relationship with Russia. Here's what you need to know.
What was the chemical attack?
It took place in the north-western province of Idlib, and caused people to choke or faint, with some victims foaming at the mouth.
A photo of a father cradling his dead infant twins summarised the horror.
"It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack," President Donald Trump said in a televised address following his military strike.
What did America target in response?
US warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired about 60 Tomahawk missiles on the Shayrat air base near Homs in central Syria.
Mr Trump said that's where the chemical attack was launched from.
"It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," he said.
The governor of Homs province, where the base was located, said the strikes killed seven people and caused extensive damage. Russian news agencies quoted the country's Defence Ministry as saying four people died.
What's the significance of these strikes?
It's Mr Trump's first major military act since he was inaugurated as President in January, and it represents a huge shift in Washington's attitude towards Syria.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said moves were under way within the Trump administration to try to get an international coalition together to look at ways to remove Syrian president Bashar al-Assad from power.
It's important to note that former president Barack Obama had said the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government was a "red line".
All eyes are now on how Russia responds to the strike in Syria.
What has Russia said?
According to reports from Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the US strikes a violation of international law.
Mr Putin's spokesman said in a statement reported by Russian news agencies that the President believes the strikes were an act of "aggression against a sovereign nation" based on a "made-up pretext".
The Russian Foreign Ministry called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the strikes.
"This is not the first time the United States has resorted to such a thoughtless step, which merely exacerbates existing problems and threatens global security," it said in a statement.
Russia says it will now suspend a deal with the US to help prevent mid-air collisions over Syria. It also said it would help Syria strengthen its air defences.
The Kremlin was told in advance of the strikes, but Mr Tillerson said no approval was sought from Moscow. The Secretary of State is due to visit Russia next week.
Taking military action against Syria is complicated for America, because the Syrian regime has been working closely with Russia to combat what it says are rebel forces and Islamic State fighters.
Are we sure Syria carried out the chemical attack?
The consensus is that a chemical weapons attack was carried out. But some commentators and analysts had urged restraint, saying there hadn't been a comprehensive investigation into exactly what had happened.
Following the chemical weapons attack, there was a hastily arranged meeting in New York of the UN Security Council, where America pointed the finger at the Assad regime.
But a lot of other nations hedged their bets and said they needed to wait for an investigation.
In his statement today, Mr Trump was unequivocal:
"There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention, and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council," he said.
Damascus has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.
In a statement, Mr Assad's office said the attack was "reckless" and "irresponsible", and that it showed Washington was "naively pulled behind a false propaganda campaign".
What has Malcolm Turnbull said?
The Prime Minister said Australia was told in advance by America and "strongly supports" the strike.
"The effect of the American response has been to reduce the ability of the Syrian Government to deliver chemical weapons in the shocking manner in which they did a few days ago," he said.
Mr Turnbull said the use of chemical weapons was illegal and abhorrent.
"It is a violation of international law. It is a war crime. It is a blatant contravention of basic principles of humanity," he said.
Mr Turnbull called on the UN Security Council to address the situation in Syria. But he noted that due to Russia, which has veto powers, the council is at an impasse.
Will the war escalate from here?
Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan from the Lowy Institute said the attack shouldn't be seen as a shift in US policy towards Syria.
He said the strike was "swift, targeted and, perhaps most importantly, proportionate".
"In a complex and confusing civil war in which decisions can result in unforeseen consequences, the Trump administration was presented with a relatively straightforward choice and with a perfect target," he wrote.
Dr Shanahan said "something had to be done" about the use of chemical weapons.
"[Mr] Obama elected not to retaliate when chemical weapons were first used in 2013. In exchange, he got from Assad the removal of all chemical weapons," he wrote.
"But Syria didn't live up to its side of the agreement, so Trump had little choice but to act."
What had Mr Trump been saying about Syria before now?
During the election campaign, Mr Trump touted a non-interventionalist foreign policy.
Over the past few years, he had repeatedly urged America not to get involved in Syria.
But it was this week's horrific chemical attack that changed the President's mind.
ABC/Reuters
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, syrian-arab-republic, united-states
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