To the editor: With the fall of Syria’s ruthless dictator and finally, the opening of its prison gates, the world is getting a full picture of the barbarity Bashar Assad unleashed against the innocent civilians of his country for years. Countless Syrians were abducted, kept in horrific conditions, tortured and butchered.
All we need to know about Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is that he has provided safe haven to Assad, the man who should stand trial for his crimes against humanity just as the monsters of the Nazi regime did at Nuremberg.
Oren Spiegler, Peters Township, Pa.
..
To the editor: Can anyone, other than this op-ed writer, claim there is an established “new regime” one week after “the fall of” Assad? And, did the writer think for even a moment as to why, after having just been bombed at will and their internationally recognized border invaded with American support by Israel, the Syrian public might not think his referenced list of dictates persuasive?
The history of our taking for granted U.S. strategic interests in the region being more legitimate and primary to that of any individual country’s national interests is well documented.
However, if no one in Syria has any knowledge or memory of how successful our State Department’s same cut-and-paste requirements proved in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps the writer might not sound so ignorant.
Ted Rosenblatt, Pacific Palisades
..
To the editor: Peace is definitely cheaper than continued conflict. I think the time is ripe for a regional cease-fire in the Middle East — including immediate talks between the Kurds and the Turks, between the Lebanese nation in all its parts and the Israelis, and of course between the Palestinians and the Israelis as well.
I don’t think anyone will miss the Assad regime in the long term. I’ll even include the Iranians and Russians, as he was an embarrassment. They all will be forced to confront some uncomfortable negotiations that could possibly produce peace in the region. No expulsions or land grabs, just an offering to the surrounding nations of equality, respect and nonaggression.
The U.S. would need to ensure the stability of the next Syrian government. There are far too many war dead on all sides who would instead be enjoying their grandchildren at this point.
Mike Caggiano, San Mateo
