Last night around 9 Eastern Time, 60 missiles were launched from American war ships in the eastern Mediterranean.

Fifty-nine missiles hit their targets.

The goal was to destroy an air base from which Syrian planes recently dropped sarin gas on civilians, killing 30 children and 20 women according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 

According to reporting based on a variety of agencies, this is the fifth time, at least, the Syrian dictator Assad has violated the Geneva Conventions and used poison gas to kill civilians.

Back in 2012 President Barack Obama threatened Assad.

OBAMA: “The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. And if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences, and you will be held accountable.”

But Assad was not held accountable.

Instead the Obama administration did what it always did, talked.

And announced a deal with the dictator.

A fascinating footnote is that Susan Rice was on point alongside John Kerry:

SUSAN RICE: “We were able to find a solution that actually removed the chemical weapons that were known from Syria in a way that the use of force would never have accomplished.”

((EDIT))

JOHN KERRY: “With respect to Syria, we struck a deal where we got 100% of the chemical weapons out.”

Obviously, a false belief.

For years Assad has been protected by the Russians, who were warned the attack was coming last night so they could move their personnel out of the air field.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): “Russia should be embarrassed and ashamed. They are saying there were no nerve agents or chemical weapons left. We know that for the better part of this year, Assad has been using chlorine bombs against innocent civilians and population centers, and now yesterday, a couple days ago a nerve agent, sarin. So the Russians have been covering for Assad and if it were not for the Russians, Assad would not still be in power.”

That's true. Putin continues to prop up Assad while thousands of people die and at least five million Syrians are refugees.

Most sane people support the missile attack last night. Sane is the key word here.

FMR. REP. RON PAUL (R-TX): “It doesn't make any sense for Assad under these conditions to all of a sudden use poison gasses. I think there is a zero chance he would have done this deliberately.”

The former congressman apparently believing Assad was set up by somebody.

Now the morality of the attack is certainly acceptable.

When you have war crimes being openly committed, a noble nation will confront that.

Unfortunately, noble nations are in short supply these days, the USA being an exception.

Also America’s national security is in play because poison gas can be used by terrorists.

Assad has a close relationship with Iran and Hezbollah.

Once chemical weapons become acceptable, the world becomes an unstable place.

Talking Points has said for years that Assad’s air force should have been destroyed a long time ago and NATO should have established safe zones inside Syria to protect the innocent.

Under President Obama none of that was remotely possible because of his strategy of retreat.

But now the new President Donald Trump is sending a message to the world: The USA will not tolerate war crimes from nations like Syria.

The downside is for every action, there is a reaction.

So security is heightened here in the USA, as we become an even bigger target for evil-doers.

Summing up, America was justified in destroying the Syrian airport, rogue nations should be dealt with by the world but if they are not, the lone superpower has a responsibility.

Even most of the Trump-haters in Congress agree that if we can stop children from being gassed to death, we should do so.

And that's the memo.