The United States has attacked a Syrian air base with 50-60 cruise missiles in response to a chemical weapons attack it blames on President Bashar Assad.
Opinion by Audrey Young
Audrey Young, Senior Political Correspondent at the New Zealand Herald based at Parliament, specialises in writing about politics and power.
The New Zealand Government response to the United States air strikes on a Syrian air base has been cautious and properly so.
It is early days in every respect of what the development means.
Not least of the unknowns is what US president Donald Trump meant when he said yesterday:"I call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria."
It is not clear what "join us" means.
It is not clear whether it was a one-off strike in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack on civilians or the start of a campaign that New Zealand might be pressed into joining in some tangible way.
New Zealand joined the US-led Coalition against Isis in Iraq - in a non-combat capacity - because it is at the invitation of the Iraqi Government.
It has assiduously stayed out of any US-led action against Isis in Syria (unlike US allies Australia, Britain and France) because it is not at the invitation of the Syrian Government.
New Zealand is not a formal ally of the US but it was forewarned of the air strike when the Pentagon contacted the Chief of Defence Force yesterday several hours in advance.
