'Assad bears full responsibility': how the world reacted to Donald Trump's missile strike on Syria

Donald Trump's targeted military intervention in Syria has been welcomed in western-friendly capitals as a "just" and "proportionate" response to the use of chemical weapons.

France and Germany issued a joint statement saying that Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president "bears full responsibility" for the precision strike which used sea-launched cruise missiles to destroy a Syrian airbase.

Francois Hollande, the out-going French president, said the strikes were exactly what France had wanted after the 2013 chemical weapons attack at Ghouta that killed at least 280 people, but were scotched by a vacillating Barack Obama and a 'no' vote in the British parliament.

The joint statement by Mr Hollande and the German chancellor Angela Merkel said that "President Assad alone carries responsibility for these developments" with his "repeated use of chemical weapons and his crimes against his own people."

The two leaders said their countries would continue to work with United Nations partners in "efforts to hold President Assad responsible for his criminal acts" and called upon the international community to "join forces for a political transition in Syria" in accordance with the UN resolution.

After a rocky start to the new US-EU relationship under President Trump, the statement represented a positive note for transatlantic relations.

The strikes were also welcomed by Turkey, as a "very positive" step to punish a war crime and repeated Turkey's long-standing calls for a no-fly zone and safe zone in Syria so that "similar massacres do not happen again."

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also expressed support, saying the strikes were "a means to prevent further deterioration of the situation", while Israel's president Reuven Rivlin said the strike was an "appropriate response" to the "unthinkable brutality" of the chemical attacks that served as "an example to the entire free world" to support steps to end atrocities in Syria.

Syria decried the US missile attack early on Friday morning on a government-controlled air base where US officials say the Syrian military launched a deadly chemical attack earlier this week, calling it an "aggression" that led to "losses." 

Russia, who has provided military support for Bashar al-Assad's government since September 2015, said that the air strikes could undermine efforts to fight against terrorism in Syria while Israel and Syrian rebels welcomed the attack.

Meanwhile the UK and Australia were among the countries backing Mr Trump's move as an "appropriate" and "just" response.

About 60 US Tomahawk missiles hit the Shayrat air base, southeast of Homs, a small installation with two runways, where aircraft often take off to bomb targets in northern and central Syria. The US missiles hit at 3:45am on Friday morning and targeted the base's airstrips, hangars, control tower and ammunition areas, US officials said.

They were fired from two warships in the Mediterranean Sea, in retaliation for Tuesday's deadly chemical attack that officials said used chlorine mixed with a nerve agent, possibly sarin.

A military official quoted on Syrian TV said an air base in central Syria was hit early Friday, causing material damage. Another statement, also attributed to an unnamed official, referred to "losses." The officials did not elaborate.

UK fully supports the US action

Britain has backed the US missile strike as an "appropriate response" to Bashar al-Assad regime's "barbaric" chemical attack.

The Government has offered its full support to Mr Trump's targeted assault on the base from where he said a devastating nerve agent strike on civilians was launched.

On Friday morning, a No 10 spokeswoman said: "Overnight, the US has taken military action against the Syrian regime, targeting the airfield in Shayrut which was used to launch the chemical weapons attack earlier this week.

"The UK Government fully supports the US action, which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, and is intended to deter further attacks."

Israel: Strong and clear message

Israel's prime minister has welcomed the US attack saying he "fully supports" Mr Trump's decision.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday in a statement that "in both word and action" Mr Trump "sent a strong and clear message" that "the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated."

Israel's Channel 2 TV said Israel along with other allies was notified about the US strike.

Russia: prospective anti-terror coalition has been "put to rest without even being born"

In the first official statement from Russia about the air strikes, the head of the country's upper house of parliament defence committee said that the strikes could undermine efforts to fight against terrorism in Syria, state media in Moscow reported.

Konstantin Kosachev said on social media that the prospective US-Russian anti-terror coalition has been "put to rest without even being born."

Mr Kosachev added that "it's a pity," suggesting that Trump had been pressured to act by the Pentagon.

He added that while "Russian cruise missiles strike the terrorists, U.S. missiles strike Syrian government forces who are spearheading the fight against the terrorists."

Meanwhile, the Syrian National Coalition opposition group welcomed the US intervention and said it hoped they continue to stop Syrian government air strikes and "use of internationally banned weapons", an SNC media official told Reuters.

Homs: US intervention "support for the armed terrorist groups"

Homs Governor Talal Barazi claimed the targeted air base had been providing air support for army operations against Islamic State east of Palmyra.

"I believe - God willing - that the human casualties are not big, but there is material damage. We hope there are not many victims and martyrs," he told Reuters by telephone.

Speaking at dawn, he said rescue and fire-fighting operations had been going on for two hours at the base.

He said the attack was a form of "support for the armed terrorist groups, and it is an attempt to weaken the capabilities of the Syrian Arab Army to combat terrorism".

Speaking to Syrian state TV, Barazi said: "The Syrian leadership and Syrian policy will not change.

"This targeting was not the first and I don't believe it will be the last," he added. In separate comments to al-Mayadeen, a Lebanese TV station, he said: "The war against terrorism will continue."

Australia: Swift and just response

Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's prime minister, said that the "Australian government strongly supports the swift and just response of the United States."

He told reporters in Sydney on Friday: "This was a calibrated, proportionate and targeted response. It sends a strong message to the Assad regime, and ... has been struck at the very airfield from which the chemical attack was delivered."

"But we are not at war with the Assad regime and the United States have made it clear that they are not seeking to overthrow the Assad regime," he added.

Shortly before the US attack was announced, the prime minister had hinted that Australia may be involved in an expanded US-led military strike on Syria following the chemical attack.

"We have condemned this attack utterly. It cries out for a strong response and we are in very … close and constant communication with our allies, in particular the United States," Mr Turnbull told 3AW radio.

He also confirmed that the US had briefed Australia on Friday prior to the strike.

Saudi Arabia: Courageous decision

Saudi Arabia said on Friday it "fully supports" the strikes, saying it was a "courageous decision" by President Donald Trump in response to the use of chemical weapons against civilians.

"A responsible source at the foreign ministry expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's full support for the American military operations on military targets in Syria, which came as a response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians...," a statement carried by state news agency SPA said.

The statement praised what it described as "the courageous decision" by Mr Trump and said it holds the Assad government responsible for the military strikes. 

Shayrat base (Syria)