Readers React: President Obama’s ‘strategic’ planning gap?

To the editor: President Obama’s response — “We don’t have a strategy yet” — to the latest and most disturbing crisis in the Middle East, the onslaught of the militant group Islamic State (including the slaughter and beheading of soldiers and civilians), is both shocking and telling. (Re “Obama rules out military action over Russia moves,” Aug. 29)

The Pentagon has contingency plans for possible threats all over the world, and surely has one for potential U.S. airstrikes in Syria. The problem is this president has no strategy because he wants no strategy. His policy of pacifism and making military decisions based on public opinion reveals his true character.
He doesn’t lead, he follows, and the world will continue to pay for the void left by American inaction.

Leonard Levine, Tarzana

To the editor: What this briefing shows is that Obama is years behind the power curve in dealing with the Islamic threat and is just now searching for a strategy.

Militant Islam has long been the enemy of freedom and religious tolerance. Europe has surrendered much of its culture, laws and freedom to Islamic influence. Obama has pretended the threat doesn’t exist, concentrating on illegal immigration and entitlements.

Congress had better act to build up our military. We and Israel are in a war for survival.

Judd Kramer, Woodland Hills
Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion