US President Donald Trump has praised the joint missile strike conducted by Washington, Paris and London, thanking them for "wisdom and power," saying that it had been "perfectly executed." He went on to praise the armed forces of the United States, "the finest that our Country has ever had." He added that no country will ever get close to the US in terms of military power.
A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 14 апреля 2018 г.
So proud of our great Military which will soon be, after the spending of billions of fully approved dollars, the finest that our Country has ever had. There won’t be anything, or anyone, even close!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 14 апреля 2018 г.
The statement comes Donald Trump ordered an attack on Friday against "civilian and military facilities" in Syria, that was backed by the UK and France. The US warships Porter, Cook и Higgins conducted the attack from the Red Sea, and the French and UK Mirage and Tornado jets interacted with US B-1 bombers over the Mediterranean Sea. More than 100 cruise and air-to-surface missiles were launched as part of the attack; 71 of them were intercepted by the Syrian air defenses, according to the Russian military.
The attack has divided the international community, with Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia supporting the strikes. Germany has also backed the move, though Berlin has refused to take part in the operation.
READ MORE: What We Know So Far on Syria Missile Strike Before Probe Into "Chemical Attack"
Other states, including Russia and Iran, have condemned the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the strikes an "act of aggression against a sovereign state that has been fighting against terrorism" and Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei criticized US President Trump, French President Macron and UK Prime Minister May, calling them "criminals."
READ MORE: Illegal, Reckless or Blessed, Morally Justified? US Congress on Attacks on Syria
The strikes were launched hours before the OPCW team was slated to arrive in the city of Douma to inspect the site of the alleged chemical attack. The Western states swiftly put the blame for the alleged Douma attack, which was first reported by Syrian opposition media on April 7, on Damascus. Despite the lack of evidence, Donald Trump announced the possible military action against Syria last week, saying in a tweet "get ready Russia."
The Russian military has refuted the reports about chemical weapons use in the area of Eastern Ghouta, where Douma is located, saying doctors from Douma had denied media reports about receiving patients with symptoms of exposure to toxic substances.
