WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed a US-led missileassault on Syria’s regime as “perfectly executed,” despite the limitednature of the strikes and Russia’s condemnation, which further heightenedtensions between the Cold War foes.
The UN Security Council was set to meet at Moscow’s request at 1500 GMTover the operation, which was unleashed by the US, Britain and France inresponse to an alleged chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town ofDouma.
The strikes were targeted to inflict maximum damage on sites linked tochemical weapons development. A top Pentagon official, Lieutenant GeneralKenneth McKenzie, said the action would set back Syria’s chemical weaponsprogram “for years.”
The sounds of massive explosions rang out across Damascus just before dawnon Saturday, ushering in 45 minutes of explosions and the roar ofwarplanes, AFP’s correspondent in the city said.
Flashes flared in the distance and by daybreak, plumes of smoke could beseen rising from the city’s north and east.
“A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the UnitedKingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military,” Trumptweeted early Saturday.
“Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!”
Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White later told reporters: “We successfully hitevery target.”
Both the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and its ally Russia have deniedall responsibility for the deadly Douma attack, and Moscow slammed the”aggressive actions” of the Western coalition, but it has not yet respondedmilitarily.
– ‘Crimes of a monster’ –
US President Donald Trump announced the joint action against Assad’s regimefrom the White House late Friday.
Trump said the strikes were a direct response to the April 7 attack onDouma, outside Damascus, that rescuers and monitors say killed more than 40people.
“The evil and the despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants andchildren thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actionsof a man. They are crimes of a monster instead,” Trump said.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis called the strikes a “one-time shot” withno additional military action planned for now.
The strikes were the biggest foreign military action so far against Syria’sregime.
The targets included a scientific research facility near Damascus, achemical weapons storage facility west of the city of Homs, and a thirdlocation near Homs that contained both a command post and a chemicalweapons equipment storage facility, the US military said.
The facilities hit had however reportedly been evacuated in recent days.
Syrian state media reported only three people injured, while Russia’sdefense ministry said there were “no victims” among Syrian civilians andmilitary personnel.
– Defiant Assad –
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 tokeep fighting and crushing terrorism in every inch of the country,” he said.
Assad’s key ally Iran also slammed the attack, with supreme leaderAyatollah Ali Khamenei describing Western leaders as “criminals.”
The targets appeared to steer well clear of any Russian personnel orequipment in Syria, where Moscow launched a military intervention insupport of Assad in 2015.
The Russian military claimed Syrian air defense systems had intercepted 71Western missiles, though the Pentagon disputed that.
– Rally in Damascus –
In central Damascus, dozens of Syrians arrived on bicycles, on foot and incars spray painted with the red, white, and black colors of the Syrianflag, blaring patriotic tunes.
Nedher Hammoud, 48, claimed to have seen missiles “being shot down likeflies.”
“Let them do what they want, kill who they want… History will record thatSyria shot down missiles — and not just missiles. It shot down Americanarrogance.”
Despite the strikes, the Organisation for the Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons said it was still planning on carrying out its investigation intothe Douma attack.
Thousands of rebels and civilians have since been bussed out of the townunder a Russian-brokered deal. Syrian internal security forces enteredDouma on Saturday and were poised to declare their control over it within”hours.”
Jaish al-Islam, the group that held Douma, said it only abandoned the townbecause of the chemical attack.
Leading Jaish al-Islam member Mohammad Alloush said Saturday the Westernstrikes had not gone far enough.
“Punishing the instrument of the crime while keeping the criminal — afarce,” Alloush wrote on Twitter.
And Ahmad, a 25-year-old mechanic who had been displaced from Douma, toldAFP the Western strikes were too little, too late.
“Assad won’t collapse. They’ll bomb for a day or two and then the regimewill take it out on us,” he said.
The specter of military strikes had hung over Syria since harrowing footageof victims in Douma sparked outrage from Trump, French President EmmanuelMacron and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
France said it fired cruise missiles from frigates in the Mediterranean anddeployed fighter jets from home bases on Saturday.
Britain’s defense ministry said four British Tornado jets had fired StormShadow missiles at a base 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Homs.
– UN chief urges restraint –
The Russian military had vowed to respond to any attack, and PresidentVladimir Putin’s administration had repeatedly warned Trump was takingAmerica down a dangerous path.
Despite the warnings, Washington, Paris and London insisted their ownsecret intelligence belied Assad’s guilt. A US spokeswoman said Friday theallies had “proof.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who delayed a planned trip to SaudiArabia and was to brief the Security Council, called for calm.
“I urge all member states to show restraint in these dangerouscircumstances,” he said in a statement. APP/AFP