The U.S. has plenty of other military options in the region. Besides U.S. military bases in Turkey, Qatar, and elsewhere, the U.S., The New York Times said, has two Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers in the Mediterranean that “would be able to get within striking range within hours to days.” But if previous strikes are any guide, Trump’s action Friday will ultimately have little impact in Syria.

On the other hand, the new action in Syria illustrates the difficulty the Trump administration has had in extricating itself from the conflict. Just two weeks ago, Trump told supporters that the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria would leave the country “like, very soon.” At about the same time, the U.S. military was reportedly planning to send dozens more troops to the country to fight isis. Amid the confusion, last week the White House issued a statement attributed to the press secretary, not the president, saying the troops would remain in Syria until isis was defeated. The statement did not say how long they would stay; news reports said Trump, who campaigned for president on a platform of keeping the U.S. away from foreign entanglements, wanted them out by November. (Nor did the statement say that the U.S. would have any role in responding to attacks on civilians.) Trump said Friday that the U.S. “does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria. We look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home.”