Opinion: Obama’s inaction on Syria has put President Trump in an impossible situation

To the editor: President Obama’s policy of leading from behind, growing organically from his flawed belief that America abroad is the proximate cause of global turmoil, greased the skids for Russian President Vladimir Putin to become the capo di tutti capi (boss of all bosses) in the Middle East. With Damascus strongman Bashar Assad as Putin’s consigliere, the duo is now the Gotti-Gravano of the Syrian slaughter. (“Trump is right, America isn’t ‘so innocent.’ Here’s how we can right that wrong in Syria,” Opinion, April 5)

President Trump initially hoped to reach an accord with Putin covering a number of outstanding issues including pacification in Syria. But, as we all know, no good intention in our raucous world goes unpunished. So, I anticipate no relief for the Syrian people so callously abandoned by Obama.

However, we should with others provide sanctuary for those who have escaped the kill zone.

Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati

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To the editor: Andrew Bacevich undoubtedly is an intelligent person to have achieved his rank of professor emeritus of history at Boston University. But I believe that his advice to “follow the German model” by awarding “sanctuary to the displaced” in Syria is a faulty line of reasoning.

Many Syrians were not “displaced”; they were murdered before even having a chance to be displaced.

I fear that should we not forcefully react to the latest gassing by Assad, he will be emboldened to continue gas attacks against his people. They too will not have a chance to be displaced.

Is ignoring their plight to be our penance for America’s past misdeeds?

Forrest Bonner, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: There is no distinction between killing civilians with sarin gas or with barrel bombs. Using either is a war crime.

Where was Trump when children were killed in Aleppo by Syrian forces using other means? For political convenience, the world is outraged this time. Where were they when hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed and millions were displaced?

The silence was deafening.

Robert Pisapia, Westlake Village

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To the editor: Trump has blamed Obama for a serious incident in Syria that occurred on his watch.

Responding to Syria militarily may not be feasible, but on a humanitarian basis, we know that the antidotes for nerve agent poisoning are injectable atropine and pralidoxime along with rigorous artificial respiration.

We must ignore trivial Trump tweets and help the humans of Syria minimize their tragedy. I am a retired Army lieutenant colonel who spent years studying chemical defense. Doing nothing kills the innocent. We need to perform air drops now.

George N. Giacoppe, Riverside

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