From media reports it is held that Syria did have a very efficient anti aircraft missile system but that this has been degraded by conflict. The Russian have brought into the country their best systems to protect their equipment and key "regime locations" which did not extend to this airbase. Read into that what you will.
I think, firstly, these strikes were "the right thing to do" - you can not use chemical weapons. Of that there can be no doubt. ( and that message should have been made earlier)
However, there seems to be no plan, the strikes weren't designed to damage the regime or to preface a wider campaign and there is a sneaking suspicion it is all for show and that by following the proper deconfliction channels everyone was able to save face. I think Zuriblue ( below) has it right:
So for Trump it's win/win - you show the world that you're standing up to Assad and doing The Right Thing by swiftly responding to a chemical weapons atrocity. You also kill any suggestion that you're Putin's puppet. You pre warn Russia, knowing they'll warn Assad, giving them time to at least partially clear the airbase. It's a symbolic strike but the media will love it. But that's all great for Trump but what does Putin get out of all that? Is he also desperate to shake off the Trump/Russia links so he can keep Trump on a lead and sees this as a worth while small sacrifice, and his quick condemnation of the bombing pre planned to help break the link? I'm not sure he cares enough what the West think to go through all that.
A less conspiracy theory take on it is that Trump saw this as win/win (as above) so gave the order. Pre-warned Russia because if any Russian military were stationed there and the strikes took them out then nobody knows what Putin might do. Takes the plaudits. Putin is genuinely annoyed (to put it mildly) at Trump and has the motive and boldness to escalate and start a potential serious incident. But he probably won't. He's smart and I think he probably feels he's still in charge here.
