Justification, effectiveness queried in the US-led strikes

Though the dust raised by the joint Western airstrikes on Syria is settling, its shockwaves continue to ripple through Europe.

Pinning the blame on the Syrian government for the alleged chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on April 7, leaders from the United States, Britain and France have gushed over the decision to launch the airstrikes on Saturday and flaunted the "success" of the "one-off" mission afterward.

Nonetheless, a large swathe of opposing voices on the continent took the strikes with a pinch of salt.

With the lessons of bumpy Western intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya lingering fresh in mind, they queried the flawed justification and effectiveness of the strikes, and also took swipes at the hypocrisy of the action.