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Was it necessary to retaliate against the suspected chemical attack in Syria? Yes. It was.
Two reasons. One, there was a red line on the use of chemical weapons. It had to be enforced. Two, you have to enforce the international ban on the use of chemical weapons.
Is it mission accomplished? A leader should never say it is mission accomplished, and certainly not a US president. Is it possible that Bashar Al-Assad and his regime will use chemical weapons again? It is.
We've been here before. This is the second time that the US and its allies have had to act. So it certainly was not mission accomplished.
Where does it leave Syria? Well, sadly, it leaves Syria where Syria was a week ago, before these attacks. The strikes do not change the balance of power on the ground. And the balance of power is still in favour of the Syrian regime and its allies, Iran and Russia.
What should the West do now? The big problem has been for years that there is no consistent Western policy towards Syria. The west has not been willing to use its military might in a significant way. The only way forward is to pressure Iran into delivering the regime in a negotiated solution. Only negotiations could end Syria's civil war.
