Nikki Haley warns U.S. chemical weapons attack ‘could easily happen’

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said a chemical weapons attack “could very easily happen” on American soil.

“We have to be very conscious of the fact that we can’t allow even the smallest use of chemical weapons,” Ms. Haley said on “Fox News Sunday.”“That’s why you saw the president strike this past weekend, that’s why you saw him expel 60 Russian spies after the attack in Salisbury. This very easily could happen in the United States if we’re not smart and if we’re not conscious of what’s happening.”

The U.S., the U.K. and France carried out a coordinated missile attack on Syria Friday night, striking military installations involved with the use of chemical weapons.

Asked whether there will be further strikes, Ms. Haley said that’s “totally up to” Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

She said President Trump “has made it very clear that, when it comes to weapons of mass destruction, we have no tolerance for it.”

“We are going to watch out for the best interests of the American people,” she said. “And so he made a point, and hopefully Assad gets it. If Assad doesn’t get it, it’s gonna hurt.”

Asked about Mr. Trump’s use of the term “mission accomplished” to describe the strike, Ms. Haley said it makes more sense in a military context.

“As a military spouse, I know that ’mission accomplished’ means you have one task currently in front of you, and when it’s completed, it is mission accomplished,” Ms. Haley said. “Politically, ’mission accomplished’ means something broader, and I think that the president was referring in military terms. We of course know that our work in Syria is not done.”