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Brian Williams

Brian Williams criticized for calling missile-launch photos 'beautiful'

AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Williams is facing online criticism for waxing poetic about what he called "beautiful pictures" of U.S. missiles launching during an attack on a Syrian air base.

Brian Williams is being called out for getting a little too poetic over images of the missiles launched against Syria Thursday.

Video released by the military shows Tomahawk missiles targeted for a Syrian airfield launching from the decks of U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday.

During his MSNBC program, The 11th Hour, late Thursday night, Williams said the "beautiful pictures at night" tempted him to quote a line from a Leonard Cohen song: "I am guided by the beauty of our weapons." He went on to call the images "beautiful pictures of fearsome armaments."

A tomahawk missile is launched across the Mediterranean Sea from the USS Porter against Syria's al-Shayrat military airfield in response to Bashar Assad's use of chemical weapons against a rebel-held city.

Williams was quickly mocked and criticized on Twitter for the remarks, with some users suggesting they were insensitive to the realities of war.

MSNBC didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

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