Holding his first press briefing since the Syrian airstrikes, Defense Secretary James Mattis adamantly said there is "no doubt the Syrian regime is responsible" for unleashing a chemical attack in Idlib Province last week.
He continued, "We determined that a measured military response could best deter the regime from doing this again."
WATCH | Defense Secretary James Mattis holds a press briefing on the U.S. launched airstrikes.
Mattis, known for his three-year stint as a general in the U.S. Marine Corps, said that a "measured military response could best deter the regime from doing this again."
This military action best demonstrates the United States will not passively stand by while Assad blithely ignores international law and employees chemical weapons he had declared destroyed."
He also asserted that U.S. military policy in Syria "hasn't changed" and htat the priority remains the defeat of ISIS.
"ISIS represents a clear and present danger and immediate threat to Europe and teh United States homeland," he added.