But here, he was acting in the familiar role for an American President as the moral leader of the West, lining up against the transatlantic alliance's traditional foe, Russia. Just two weeks ago, Trump had said it was time to get troops out of Syria to let regional powers fix the morass there. But on Friday, he promised a sustained military campaign to prevent President Bashar al-Assad using chemical weapons. "Chemical weapons are uniquely dangerous not only because they inflict gruesome suffering, but because even small amounts can unleash widespread devastation." Trump's critics are already accusing him of seizing on the situation in Syria to deflect attention from his political plight at home.

Source: CNN April 14, 2018 05:37 UTC