Along the Soleimani fault line

Readers respond to Newsday’s coverage of last week’s U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Here is a sampling of the letters.

You are generally circumspect in your views, and you make some valid points in your editorial about the killing of Iran’s Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani [“Nation deserves an explanation,” Jan. 5].

However, to say that President Donald Trump “has not earned the benefit of the doubt,” while making the blanket statement that “Iran was living up to the deal, and doing little to directly provoke the United States,” is naive and biased.

Further, to say that the only reason Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal was due to his “insatiable desire to undo the work of his predecessor,” is partisan nonsense that belies the reality of who our opponent is.

Iran has been a bad actor for years, is untrustworthy as a stated enemy of the United States and Israel, and has exported terrorism around the Middle East with the billions of dollars provided by the United States for the nuclear deal. Iran backed the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and has been emboldened by the perceived weakness and lack of will by American leaders.

When a U.S. president finally calls Iran’s bluff, and responds in the only way these terrorists understand, your inclination is to wring your hands and worry that the sky is going to fall.

David Catlett,

Manhasset  

Does this sound like an old song? We took down a bad guy, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and justified it with lies and half-truths, and plunged the Middle East into chaos and death to our American heroes and to thousands of innocent Arabs.

Here we go, again [“U.S. kills Iranian general,” News, Jan. 3]. The death of Iran’s Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, another bad guy, supported by some of the people President Donald Trump keeps around, can easily set the Middle East on fire again. I’d like to see the evidence that supports such a reckless act. It took impeachment off the front page for awhile.

Joan Nelson,

Ridge  

Remember when the United States had a backbone as a world leader and led by strength? With the exception of President Ronald Reagan, that strength has been eroded by weak and apologetic administrations.

Today, the left and Socialist Democrats are bemoaning a drone strike that targeted and killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who orchestrated terrorist attacks against the United States and is responsible for killing hundreds of Americans and wounding thousands more. Good riddance.

Despite his successes, some Democrats’ hatred for President Donald Trump will not allow them to give even an inch of recognition. Shameful.

Joe Ruszczyk,

Kings Park  

If President Donald Trump expected the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani to have any effect, he has failed. Soleimani was quickly replaced, and all Trump did was enrage Iranians and put Americans all over the world in harm’s way.

Trump didn’t think of the consequences of his actions. He never does. Among his threats is the promise that he would destroy 52 cultural heritage sites in Iran if it retaliates against the United States. That is sinking to the barbaric level of the Islamic State and it would be a war crime.

History will not look kindly on the president or the Republican Party.

Connie Leo,

Massapequa  

It is becoming more and more apparent that in the eyes of many people President Donald Trump can do nothing right.

When the Navy Seals hunted down and killed Osama bin Laden during the Obama administration in 2011, it was cause for celebration. Now Trump orders the killing of an equally ruthless and murderous terrorist who is responsible for the killing of many American servicemen and civilians, and he is being roundly criticized. Why?

Frank J. Donohue,

Riverhead  

While I agree with some of President Donald Trump’s ideas, I disagree with his methods. He went too far having Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani assassinated last week.

After watching the Sunday news shows, I have concluded that the president did this to deflect national news from his impeachment trial to this new threat of war he has created. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s repeated non-answers and smirks after being asked, “Why do this now?” all but confirmed it. I think we’ll never know the answer to the question because there is none that is valid.

The climate Trump has created pushed his impeachment to the back burner. He’ll tweet, ‘How can I be impeached with these threats looming,” and people will buy it. This, and Democrats’ inability to get their act together and put up one good candidate, will allow Trump to be reelected.

Rich Mugno,

Rockville Centre

I remember the last time a Republican president pursued, then executed a Middle East tyrant. Americans were assured that the capture, then killing, of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein would make the world a better place and bring peace to the Middle East. A simple, quick, surgical strike; then-Vice President Dick Cheney even let us know that this briefest of wars would pay for itself.

Heck, we even saw the banner saying “Mission Accomplished.” So, how did that go for ya?

Steven Blasko,

Ridge  

I believe Iran is an unstable and hostile country. And I don’t think tears should be shed over the death of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani [“How decision to attack evolved,” News, Jan. 5].

As always, my concern is over the conduct of President Donald Trump. Simply, he lies about everything so why should we believe that an attack on Americans or U.S. interests was imminent? And what role does his withdrawal from the nuclear agreement with Iran play in this situation?

Now he threatens to attack 52 heritage cultural sites if Iran retaliates against. For a person with so little knowledge of history, Trump is working pretty hard to fire up his supporters and justify his recent actions.

Chris Marzuk,

Greenlawn  

Your editorial asks legitimate questions regarding the drone strike taking out Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani [“Nation deserves an explanation,” Editorial, Jan. 5]. Yet your concern, predictably, centers on President Donald Trump.

You acknowledge that there is justification for killing Soleimani: “Soleimani’s destabilization of the Middle East” . . . but it was Trump. And “Thousands of deaths, including those of hundreds of American military members” . . . . but it was Trump.

America has had challenges across administrations contending with the sectarian conflicts in that part of the world. Placing of billions of dollars in the hands of the Iranian regime thru President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal was not smart.

History has taught us that if adversaries have to consider their safety before they attack Americans, they will be less likely to strike.

Chris Dillon,

Centerport

Did anything really change after the killing of Osama bin Laden, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State? Will anything change after taking out Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani? I think not.

The world becomes less safe, wars escalate and more innocent people die. Killings and wars are never a solution. Only diplomatic negotiated agreements can hope to make a difference.

Linda Donato,

Smithtown