‘Mission Accomplished!’: Trump praises Syria strikes

On Saturday, Trump called British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss their joint action.

Assad, who has denied ever using chemical weapons against his opponents, responded to the strikes with a defiant vow.

“This aggression will only make Syria and its people more determined to keep fighting and crushing terrorism in every inch of the country,” he said.

Assad’s key ally Iran also slammed the attack, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei describing Western leaders as “criminals.”

The targets appeared to steer well clear of any Russian personnel or equipment in Syria, where Moscow launched a military intervention in support of Assad in 2015.

The Russian military claimed Syrian air defense systems had intercepted 71 Western missiles, though the Pentagon flatly dismissed the claim and said all missiles hit their targets.

– Rally in Damascus –

In central Damascus, dozens of Syrians arrived on bicycles, on foot and in cars spray painted with the red, white, and black colors of the Syrian flag, blaring patriotic tunes.

Nedher Hammoud, 48, claimed to have seen missiles “being shot down like flies.”

“History will record that Syria shot down missiles — and not just missiles. It shot down American arrogance,” he said.

Despite the strikes, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said it was still pursuing its investigation into the Douma attack.

Thousands of rebels and civilians have since been bussed out of the town under a Russian-brokered deal. Syrian internal security forces entered Douma on Saturday and said the town would be secured within hours.

Jaish al-Islam, the group that held Douma, said it only abandoned the town because of the chemical attack.

Ahmad, a 25-year-old mechanic who had been displaced from Douma, told AFP the Western strikes were nevertheless too little, too late.

“Assad won’t collapse. They’ll bomb for a day or two and then the regime will take it out on us,” he said.

– UN chief urges restraint –

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres asked for restraint in comments Saturday before the Security Council.

“At this critical juncture, I call on all member states to act consistently with the charter of the United Nations and with international law, including the norms against chemical weapons,” he said.

An effort by Russia to secure UN condemnation of the strikes failed in the Council, only winning three of the nine votes needed for adoption.