- 听力文本
- 中文翻译
AZUZ: The U.S. government now says it's a priority to remove Syria's leader from power. That's a significant change for the Trump administration. It previously did not prioritize the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. But that was before a chemical weapons attack that was carried out last Tuesday killed 89 people in western Syria. The attack was widely blamed on Assad's regime.
And last week, U.S. President Donald Trump authorized a military strike against the Syrian airbase. It's the location where the U.S. says the chemical attack was launched from. America has been carrying out airstrikes against ISIS locations in Syria for years. The missile strikes were the first time the U.S. struck a Syrian government position since the country's civil war broke out six years ago.
DAVID PETRAEUS, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: It certainly sends a message to friends and foe alike that this president will take action when lines are crossed and that is again potentially very significant.
AZUZ: Syria denied carrying out the chemical attack last week and Russia and Iran, two countries that support Syria's government say the U.S. strike broke international law and that they would, quote, "response strongly" to any aggression Syria.
The U.S. missiles were fired from U.S. warships in the Eastern Mediterranean. And in response and in apparent show of force, Russia has moved a warship to a port in western Syria. The Middle Eastern nation has continued operations at the damage airbase.
In the U.S. capitol, Neil Gorsuch is set to sworn in today as the 113th justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed him on Friday with a vote of 54-45. One senator was absent. Justice Gorsuch fills the vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February.