Readers React: Trump needs to do more than launch missiles at Syria. He needs to take in refugees

To the editor: Syrian leader Bashar Assad once again attacked his own people using chemical weapons. And once again, the United States retaliated with what its leaders called a surgical strike. (“Trump touts ‘perfectly carried out’ missile strike, but lacks an overall strategy toward Syria,” April 15)

Of course, Assad deserves every missile we fire at him. However, missile strikes will probably not deter Assad, a man who kills his own people, including children. History tells us that these despots will continue to attack and harm their own people with the help of other nations who use the same tactics.

No strategy will succeed in Syria without the United States and our allies extending our hand in humanitarian relief. We bomb other nations. This causes mayhem and the displacement of thousands, even millions of people. Yet President Trump has effectively stopped the entrance of Syrian refugees into the United States.

This is unacceptable. If Trump is truly outraged by the deployment of chemical weapons by Assad, and if he truly cares about the suffering of the Syrian people, he would do more than conduct a missile strikes. He would rescue the Syrian people with a generous refugee program and humanitarian relief.

Alba Farfaglia, San Clemente

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To the editor: Great photo of the Damascus demonstration in support of Assad.

It perfectly captures the tangled mess that is Syria right now: supporters of a dictator, flying Russian, Iranian, and Syrian flags, rallying against the American-led airstrikes while driving what is very obviously a Chevrolet pickup truck.

I wonder if the irony is completely lost on them.

C.H. Koutzoukis, Yorba Linda

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