HARTFORD -- In the aftermath of the US missile strike on Syria Thursday night, Connecticut residents are sharing a mix of opinions.
"I just believe that Assad, with the chemical weapons, it was a horrible thing, killing innocent people, children, the elderly. It is horrible," said Peter Rafael of West Hartford. "I don't believe that firing a few missiles at an airfield and blowing up a few buildings is going to resolve anything. It is just showing that we have missiles. Everyone knows that we have military might."
"Trump was very quick to criticize President Obama when issues of Syria came up he talked about when Obama talked about drawing the line. Trump did the same and he actually kept his word," said David Devost of Newington. "I'm not sure it's a good thing, but he is a man of his word. I guess we'll have to see what happens."
"Like most people I'm concerned about the attacks against civilians, families, and all that, but I'm also concerned on the flip side that our president doesn't seem to have a clear foreign policy," said Rich Baber of Manchester. "I mean one day he'll be opposed to any kind of intervention and you know, he'll see some footage that bothers him personally and he'll just sort of on a dime change his position."
"It's a little scary," said Tami Hyde of Newington. "There's a part of me that thinks we're going to war. And I understand that we're a country that helps out other people, however there's gotta be another way."
"I think the President is doing the right thing," said Rodrigo Olivera of Middletown. "It is not acceptable that they use chemical weapons to kill children, special children. I saw and it i terrible.I think it's time for us to do something and I think the President is doing the right thing. I support him 100 percent what he does."
Janet Hansen of West Hartford said, "I still am very concerned about having air strikes because it may perpetuate some other problems too."
"I worry about retaliation," said Chris Stiepock of Glastonbury. "We put the man in position to make this decision and now we gotta live with it."
"I think President Trump made the right decision to send a message. I think what we witnessed Tuesday was horrific and painful and I think it is the United States' responsibility and obligation to send a strong message that that's unacceptable," said Lisa Aldave of West Hartford.
Kerry Costigan of Hartford posted her thoughts in a Facebook comment Friday morning:
"I don't approve of this at all, this had nothing to do with us, I'm all about defending life but this was not in our control. So the president has a strong feeling that the Syrian government did this, ok, where is the evidence, prove they did this, maybe Isis did this you don't know, so if he has a strong feeling about this and reacts does that give us the same right, no it doesn't. As for Russia being warned, who's to say they didn't warn Syria. Our allies say we did the right thing, but not one of them took the same stand, they can now standby and say we never bombed you. President Trump is showing that he is going to be a tyrant (welcome back Hitler). This whole thing is so very sad, the loss of innocent civilians is so very sad, as Jesus said to Peter on the night he was arrested "he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword". Violence and force are not the way. We are stronger United then we are divided."