The American military strike on a Syrian government airbase Thursday was lauded by foreign policy experts as a necessary and proportionate response to Syrian leader Bashar al Assad’s chemical attack that killed dozens of civilians earlier in the week.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters Friday the Pentagon’s order to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the base came after 72 hours of deliberation by President Donald Trump, his national security team, and cabinet members.

Jonathan Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the attack against Syria’s Sharyat Airbase marked a “positive step” that showcased the administration’s preparedness to take military action against the Assad regime.

“This strike was long overdue in that for the last six years we have had a policy of paralysis in Washington with regard to the ongoing slaughter and mass human rights abuses in Syria,” Schanzer told the Washington Free Beacon. “The attack [Thursday] was limited, it was proportional, and I certainly don’t expect this to be the beginning of a longer campaign.”