Trump launches an attack at Assad and the rump Syrian state, and more importantly sends a clear message at his current guest, President Xi of China.

The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was Syria's use of banned chemical weapons that killed at least 100 people, U.S. military officials told NBC News. 

Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired 59 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target — Ash Sha'irat in Homs province in western Syria, the officials said. That's the airfield from which the United States believes the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the banned weapons. 

There was no immediate word on casualties. U.S. officials told NBC News that people were not targeted and that aircraft and infrastructure at the site, including the runway, were hit.

Syria is a side show compared to North Korea.  The administration has already told the Norks that talk is over.  Their nuclear program cannot be tolerated. In order to avoid a hot war in Korea, the Chinese must be motivated to pressure Kim more effectively than they have to at least ditch their nuclear ambitions.  The Norks are the clients of China, and their only ally, and the Chinese are arguably responsible for their client's actions. 

Xi will get a clear message from this military strike, done importantly while he is in the US meeting with Trump.  It shows the leader of Red China that the US is serious, and willing to strike and strike quickly.  The Americans will seem serious and a country whose opinions and wishes must be recognized.  

And those wishes in regards to North Korea have already been clearly and unequivocally expressed.  The Chinese will know that for certain, if they don't solve the North Korean nuclear problem to the satisfaction of the Americans, the solution will be out of their hands.

I'm quite sure that the Chinese know which way the winds will blow the radioactive fallout

I therefor expect that Assad has stupidly given Trump a spectacular way to motivate the Red Chinese to solve the problem of the Nork's nuclear program short of open war.

A few missiles now popping the dusty buildings of a Syrian base may thus save us from a much more dangerous conflict on the other side of the world that could go easily nuclear.  We shall see, but for now, this looks like a stroke of genius.