WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Syrian facilities in response to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s reported use of chemical weapons against civilians fulfills Trump’s promise of being tougher than President Barack Obama. But it’s unlikely to have much impact beyond that ― and will likely be historically judged as a failure on Trump’s own terms. Trump’s military response alongside France and the U.K. is ostensibly an attempt to deter Assad’s murderous behavior and demonstrate American toughness to Assad’s patrons, Iran and Russia. His forces have also reportedly evacuated personnel from some Syrian government buildings where military systems like chemical weapons are being developed. On Friday night, officials said the U.S., France and Britain hit a research site, a command post and a store of chemical weapons.

Source: Huffington Post April 14, 2018 02:37 UTC