French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May were both put in the crosshairs Monday by their own parliaments over Saturday's operation. The leaders were criticized for failing to obtain a UN mandate, or even a parliamentary debate, before ordering missile strikes against Syrian targets. Nathan King reports.

With protesters outside, the United Kingdom's Prime Minister Theresa May stressed to the British parliament the limited nature of the attacks.

THERESA MAY BRITISH PRIME MINISTER "This was not about intervening in a civil war, and it was not about regime change, it was about a limited and targeted effective strike that sought to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people by degrading the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deterring their use."

May stressed the actions were in the UK's national interest but opposition figures said the UK was just doing Washington's bidding.

JEREMY CORBYN LABOUR PARTY LEADER "Mr. Speaker, this statement serves as a reminder that the Prime Minister is accountable to this parliament not to the whims of the US President."

The French parliament also debated the strikes, several lawmakers criticized the action carried out without the authorization of the United Nations. French President Emmanuel Macron defended the strikes and said the US and its allies now have a wider responsibility in the country beyond battling ISIL.

EMMANUEL MACRON FRENCH PRESIDENT "I'm right in saying that the United States of America, because they decided on this intervention with us, fully realized that our responsibility went beyond the war against ISIL and that it was also a humanitarian responsibility on the ground and a long-term responsibility to create peace."

NATHAN KING WASHINGTON "But it is unclear what efforts, if any, the US, the UK and France will make to try and end Syria's seven-year civil war diplomatically. And with relations between Russia and the Western allies at a new low, it's not clear how any such effort would even start. The US, UK and France have also vowed to strike again if chemical weapons are used in Syria again, reserving the right to do so without waiting for the results of any international investigation or any United Nations Security Council resolutions. Nathan King CGTN Washington.