A message to President Trump

On Apr 8, 2017

A message from a Homsi to President Trump: All day here, in Homs, Syria, been getting the people’s reactions to the US bombing of the nearby air field and “You suck” sums them all up pretty well. A very dear close friend lost his uncle today, one of the leaders of that airbase. A man who had been fighting ISIS for years in Deir Ezzor.

Anger, sadness, frustration, disgust but not much surprise. While many here were encouraged by Trump’s campaign rhetoric, they know that talk is cheap. They’ve been waiting to see if there might be some slim possibility of an American president who would not have a “shoot first, ask questions never” foreign policy.

Well, now they know. Nothing has changed. The allegations of chemical weapons use by the Syrian government are asinine…stupid.

But not as stupid as our decades-long policy of arming, training, funding, recruiting, and lying for terrorists…packaging and branding them as “moderates” or “freedom fighters” while thinking we can control these demons.

You don’t know America. You just don’t know.

You can’t train a rabid dog because they’ll bite most viciously the hand that feeds them.

Friends and family with the best of intentions are urging me to leave here. I will not. In all the world, this is the place to be.

Walking around the city today and tonight, quiet earlier because its Friday, then coming so alive later in the evening…I’m reminded again and again of repeated sentiments from the people here. They say:

“President Trump, we are Syrians. Our president is our president and only we will decide if he stays or if he goes – not you. Our army is our army and they are protecting us from terrorists you call ‘rebels’. Our country is our country. We want peace – we are so tired of war – but we will never give up fighting for our Syria.”

I am quite safe and comfortable, please don’t worry about me. I love America, the ideals we were founded upon. But there is only one way to make America great again … and that is to make America good. Integrity, good will, wisdom.

We launched 59 Tomahawk missiles of death and destruction today. For the cost of each one, $1.2 million, we could have built a school here

Think about it, won’t you?

Janice Kortkamp

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