Trump’s strike in Syria has sent the right message to the world’s despots

SIR – Donald Trump’s stance on Syria and Bashar al-Assad is long overdue.

It is refreshing to see a president who will not tolerate atrocities against innocent people. Sir Gavin Gilbey Bt Dornoch, Sutherland SIR – Action at last. America is back. Tim Deane Tisbury, Wiltshire SIR – President Trump seems to have adopted a foreign policy of “Tweet confusingly and carry a big stick.” Eldon Sandys Pyrford, Surrey SIR – Mr Trump’s knee-jerk decision to fire missiles into Syria was irresponsible.

I suspect it had more to do with his sense of weakness in other areas: his defeat over Obamacare, his failed attempts to introduce travel bans and his desire to appear anti-Putin. David Bentley Leeds, West Yorkshire SIR – At a time when there should be greater military collaboration and diplomatic activity, it is deeply worrying that America has launched a strike without support from its allies, and that Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, has cancelled his proposed trip to Russia. Lt Col Jeremy Prescott (retd) Portsmouth, Hampshire SIR – Mr Trump’s decision to launch a missile strike against the Syrian state will surely silence even the most deranged of the Democratic Party’s conspiracy theorists. Whether it was a good idea is not so certain.

There has been massed virtue-signalling in the West, but intervening in the Syrian civil war on the side of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front will only prolong the conflict. Rev Dr John Cameron St Andrews, Fife SIR – At the moment, regime change in Syria would lead to a power vacuum and further death, destruction and chaos. Now is the time for the UN to establish a Syrian government-inexile, made up of citizens who want a peaceful future for the region. They could be trained to perform the offices of government and put in place when some sort of order has been achieved.

Without such a measure, there can be no transition from civil war to peace. Brian Farmer Chelmsford, Essex SIR – The conduct of the Syrian government is reprehensible, but double standards in the West weaken our position.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, says the atrocities in Syria took place on Russia’s watch. The same criticism may be made of our involvement in Yemen, and our provision of arms to Saudi Arabia.

Bashar al-Assad and Vladimir Putin know the West is weak, and will continue their respective agendas. James Bishop Wincanton, Somerset