FARAGE ‘SURPRISED’ At ATTACK

NIGEL Farage yesterday expressed his strong doubts over Donald Trump’s decision to attack Syrian forces.

The former Ukip leader, who has built up a friendship with Mr Trump since the Presidential election campaign, stopped short of criticising him outright.

But he said: “I am very surprised by this. I think a lot of Trump voters will be waking up this morning and scratching their heads and saying ‘where will it all end?’”

Referring to Assad’s chemical attack, he said: “As a firm Trump supporter, I say, yes, the pictures were horrible, but I’m surprised.”

Mr Farage also contrasted the Syrian regime with Islamic State’s religious fanatics saying: “Whatever Assad’s sins, he is secular.”

Paul Nuttall, who took over as Ukip leader last year, said the missile attack was “rash, trigger-happy, nonsensical and will achieve nothing”.

He said: “The whole world rightly condemns the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but the US attack on the Assad regime does nothing to lower tensions, nor will it hasten peace in that country.

“There are currently no good options in Syria. Assad or IS is not a choice anyone would wish to make. But firing off missiles in an enraged response shows weakness not strength in the face of horror.

“I hoped for better from this administration.”

Other political allies of Mr Trump also expressed their anger and concern.

Author Ann Coulter, a leading US conservative social and political commentator, wrote that Trump was “destroying his presidency”, adding: “Those who wanted us meddling in the Middle East voted for other candidates.”

British blogger Paul Joseph Watson, a regular commentator on US affairs, wrote: “I guess Trump wasn’t ‘Putin’s puppet’ after all. I’m officially off the Trump train.”