THE PENTAGON says Friday night’s missile and bombing strikes on three Syrian targets will “result in a long-term degradation” of Syria’s chemical and biological weapons capability. We hope that’s the case, in spite of the limited scope of the action. The attack was designed to minimize civilian casualties and damage to Russian assets, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it was a “one-time shot,” though he and President Trump properly left open the possibility of further action if the regime of Bashar al-Assad continues to use chemical weapons.