Trump declares mission success

RUSSIA and America dramatically faced off yesterday, trading insults and threats hours after a coalition of US, French and British forces launched 105 missiles at Moscow-backed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons infrastructure.

US President Donald Trump declared “mission accomplished” for the air strikes as the US warned it was “locked and loaded” to launch another attack if al-Assad again used poison gas.

“Last night we successfully hit the heart of Syria’s chemical weapon enterprise. And because of these actions we are confident we have crippled Syria’s chemical weapon program,” the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said.

“We are prepared to sustain this pressure if the Syrian regime is foolish enough to test our will.”

The strikes, at 4am Saturday local time in Syria, hit three sites – two storage areas and one research and development facility for chemical weapons, according to the Pentagon.

A Pentagon spokesperson said the air strikes, which were in response to a chemical weapons massacre on April 7 in a rebel-held town outside Damascus that killed at least 43, “hit every target”.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday: “I believe that this action was necessary. I believe it was the right thing for us to do.”

But Russia condemned the strikes and attempted again to claim the initial gas attack was staged, describing “diplomacy of mythmaking, hypocrisy and falsehoods” from the allied powers.

Ms Haley said: “We can all see that a Russian disinformation campaign is in full force this morning.

“But Russia’s desperate attempts at deflection cannot change the facts – a large body

WE ARE PREPARED TO SUSTAIN THIS PRESSURE IF THE SYRIAN REGIME IS FOOLISH ENOUGH TO TEST OUR WILL

of information indicates that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on Douma.”

Russia’s US Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of warmongering and “hooliganism”.

“Why are you seeking to plunge the Middle East into such difficulties, provoking one conflict after another, pitting one state against another?” he asked.

“I hope that hot heads will cool down and we can rebuild what has been destroyed.”

The UN Security Council rejected a Russian resolution calling for condemnation of the “aggression” by the US and its allies against Syria.