‘Mission accomplished': Trump praises 'perfectly executed' strike on Syria

US President Donald Trump has praised the US-led coalition missile strikes on Syria claiming the air raids were “perfectly executed.”

In a tweet after the airstrikes in the early hours of Saturday morning, Trump thanked coalition partners France and the UK adding that the attacks “could not have had a better result.”

Over 100 missiles were launched at civilian and military facilities in Syria in response to an alleged gas attack in Douma that has been widely blamed on Assad’s forces. However, Syrian air defense systems intercepted the majority of the attempted strikes, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

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Over 100 missiles were launched at civilian and military facilities in Syria in response to an alleged gas attack in Douma that has been widely blamed on Assad’s forces. Damascus denies that the alleged chemical attack took place. However, Syrian air defense systems intercepted the majority of the attempted strikes, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the airstrikes, describing them as “aggression against a sovereign state which is at the forefront of the fight against terrorism.”

The strikes were conducted the same day a team of investigators from the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is scheduled to visit Douma to determine if the alleged chemical attack took place. The agency confirmed on Saturday that the strikes would not deter its inspectors.

Trump’s “mission accomplished” remarks bore a striking resemblance to former US President George W Bush’s infamous speech on board the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in 2003 when he declared the end of combat operations in Iraq in front of a banner stating “Mission Accomplished.” The US maintains a presence in Iraq to this day.

The airstrikes have received heavy condemnation from states including China and Jordan. China’s Foreign Ministry has called for roundtable talks and an impartial investigation into the Douma gas attack reports in an effort to diffuse the crisis.

“As always, we oppose the use of force in international relations and call for respect for other countries’ sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” a spokesperson for the Chinese government said.

The attack also drew criticism from many of Trump’s most ardent supporters in the US. Numerous conservative commentators have lambasted the president for breaking one of his main campaign promises of not participating in military intervention in the Middle East. Thousands of people are also retweeting some of Trump’s previous comments warning against military action in Syria.

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