Letters to the Editor |

Will a drone attack mean Mideast war?: Letters

There is still nothing new under the Mideast sun

Hark back to the days of the Barbary Pirates. When they would capture merchant shipping, crews, cargoes, kidnap Christians and other non-believers to be held for ransom or as slaves. Fast forward to today’s version of kidnapping, holding shipping, threatening perceived weaker neighbors, deep pockets, i.e. Iran’s nuclear deal, and continue to repeat. Once upon a time, Thomas Jefferson’s emissary threatened these actions and was ignored. Subsequently, the U.S. Marines went into Tripoli, captured and held the resident caliph. End of story. The current caliph has ignored the recent warning. Perhaps if Iran’s naval assets ceased to float they might get the message and drone attacks would cease.

— John R. Waters, Lake Forest

We need the peace-through-strength platform

Two recent presidents hung their foreign policy hats on a “peace-through-strength” platform. One was Reagan who pretty much crushed the Soviet empire without invading or firing hardly a thing. The other was Trump whose policies and even rhetoric brought peace not only on our soil, but throughout the world.  The sanctions imposed on places like Iran kept their malevolent intentions in check. Biden, on the other hand, has literally invited trouble with his feckless policies. Our southern border is wide open and it is just a matter of time before terrorists make their move here. Iran’s evil intentions are growing ever more evident as they are attacking Israel and the United States through military attacks often delivered through terrorist proxies. Biden opened the southern Border, removed sanctions and even gave billions of dollars to Iran. The hapless White House occupant has the temerity to blame these multifold crises on Trump and the Republicans. This latest drone attack only underscores Biden’s abject incompetence in crucial arena of foreign policy.

— Robert Snyder, Laguna Hills

Hopefully not

Retaliation seems necessary since an Iran-backed militia is responsible for the drone attack, so whatever the outcome, I support our commander-in-chief’s pensive decision making.

— Isadora Johnson, Seal Beach