Jim Sciutto on CNN is not correct. "Mattis made very clear this is a one time shot, a limited one night strike purely on chemical weapons facilities. That is not what the President said moments before .. the President described a sustained US response..." This was not a conflict.
First of all, Mattis spoke militarily isolating this strike for the purposes of the briefing. He obviously didn't say "and never again shall another missile be launched." But more importantly he repeatedly emphasized the words "this wave" of strikes very precisely.
Additionally, what the President said was "We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents." Not, this is a sustained attack, but that we are prepared to sustain it.
Sciutto even said "Mattis did say if these weapons were to be used again there would be a response.."
Exactly what the president said. No conflict. Yet right after Sciutto said the above line, he says "that appears to be different than the way the President characterized it.
Exactly what the president said. No conflict. Yet right after Sciutto said the above line, he says "that appears to be different than the way the President characterized it.
Making it sound like the President and Mattis are not on the same page, even though they both said the EXACT same thing.
