Spicer insists Syria strike was 'the greatest thing you can do to support those people'

Sean Spicer.
(Image credit: Screenshot/ABC News via Twitter)

When asked Monday why the Trump administration was willing to bomb Syria but not to help refugees, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer insisted that the Syria strike ordered by President Trump late Thursday was a humanitarian effort. "By us taking action and de-escalating what's going on in Syria, that's the greatest thing you can do to support those people," Spicer said. "De-escalating the conflict there, containing ISIS, is the greatest aspect of humanitarian relief that we can provide, first and foremost."

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Spicer said the strike, which was ordered in response to a chemical attack that killed dozens the Idlib province, has been "widely praised domestically and internationally as a great step." "If we see this kind of action again, we hold open the possibility of future action," Spicer said, leaving the option of further strikes on the table.

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