President Trump announced a joint U.S./France/U.K. operation targeting Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad‘s chemical weapons capability yesterday evening. While the president initially implied that these would be “sustained” attacks, Secretary of Defense James Mattis later told press this was a “one-time shot” for the time being.
CBS News correspondent Seth Doane was the only U.S. TV network correspondent on the ground in Syria at the time that missiles were landing, and he reported hearing explosions on the ground during the CBS News’s special report during the 9 p.m. hour on Friday.
We caught up with Doane on Friday, only hours before the strikes took place.
TVNewser: Give us an update.
Doane: We’re reporting from Damascus at the moment as much of the news has been focused on the Syrian government’s campaign to take back control of Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of the capital city. We were here in Syria a couple of months ago reporting on the bombardment of the area and traveling to the front lines of the biggest town there, Douma. We’re back to see what has changed and to report on the threat of a U.S. military strike following the alleged chemical attack in Douma.
We were happy to get our visas to be able to return and to have the unique opportunity to report first-hand from inside Syria. There are a number of layers to getting a visa and a fair share of meetings and phone calls but it’s a thrill to get in.
TVNewser: How are you and your crew doing?
Doane: We’re doing well. Every time I come to Syria I’m struck by the hospitality and generosity of the Syrian people. The war has touched so many people here in countless ways, yet there is a dignity and resilience that cuts through it all. We were out shooting today (Friday), and I can’t tell you how many people offered me coffee or tea or an ice cream or how many folks wanted to take pictures or simply chat with an American. There is a curiosity and a warmth that might surprise many people who think of Syria and only imagine war.
TVNewser: This conflict has been going on for years. How do you keep your storytelling fresh and relevant for CBS News viewers?
Doane: The story here in Syria is always changing and evolving, and I think it only gets more interesting the more closely you follow it. The lucky thing about getting to be a correspondent for CBS News is that the organization really invests in these types of stories and encourages us to go out and find interesting, fresh ways of telling the story. It’s expensive to have a full crew on the ground in a place like this, and I feel fortunate to get the opportunity to be here. The war here in Syria has been grinding on for years but it’s important that we don’t disengage.