President Donald Trump’s decision to retaliate against Syria for a chemical weapons attack on its own citizens and to condemn Russia’s support for the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has left heads spinning and people trying to decide among at least three interpretations:

One: After a campaign built on an America-first isolationism and apparent indifference to foreign injustices, the image of murdered children has pierced Trump’s heart and brought him to the realization that America must lead with compassion and unquestioned force.

Two: However noble the new president’s motivations, his about-face on Assad and his supporter, Russian President Vladimir Putin, has sown confusion about what America’s foreign policy consists of, or whether there is a policy at all beyond an emotional reaction to gut-wrenching atrocity.

Three: The whole chain of events is a cynical maneuver calculated to give the impression that Trump’s bromance with Putin isn’t real — even as he and the Russian leader continue to support each other in ways that began with Russian tampering in the American election and could involve other collusion to advance the men’s personal and political fortunes.

One, two, three or some combination of the above — who really knows?

The only thing that’s certain is that, once again, America’s unpredictable president has written a script that would put any reality TV show to shame. We can only hope that, in the end, the Syria crisis will lead toward peace rather than an escalating international conflict.

Just last week, White House officials spoke of moving away from efforts to remove Assad from the Syrian presidency and toward accepting that 18 months of Russian support had cemented his power. But after an April 4 chemical weapons attack killed scores of Syrian citizens, including many children, Trump authorized the U.S. military to hit one of Assad’s air bases with 59 Tomahawk missiles. While the missiles didn’t cripple Syrian forces, they sent an unmistakable message.

That message arrived this week in Russia, where Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Putin Wednesday after declaring: “I hope that what the Russian government concludes is that they have aligned themselves with an unreliable partner in Bashar al-Assad.” Tillerson continued: “The reign of the Assad family is coming to an end.” Later Wednesday, Trump called Assad a “butcher.” 

It remains to be seen whether the missile attack and diplomatic saber-rattling will have the desired effect, but there is no doubt the stakes are high. In addition to the question of whether Trump’s actions will help the long-suffering Syrian people, there is also the question of whether his first foray into international conflicts will show him to be a surprisingly effective newcomer or reinforce the impression of a leader in way over his head.

We, along with the world, can only hope for the best.

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Closer to home, the Valley Syrian Relief Committee has provided local residents with a remarkable array of ways not only to learn about the humanitarian crisis in Syria, but also to get involved in ways that make a difference.

The committee formed four years ago to raise money to help victims of the Syrian war, which has resulted in countless deaths and sent waves of refugees into the world. To date, the group has raised $150,000 to help the Syrian American Medical Society bring care to victims in Syria and in the refugee camps ringing the nation.

In March, the committee organized a “Month of Witness and Action for Syria” that included the moving “Driven from their Homes” art exhibit at the Oxbow Gallery in Northampton, an intergenerational event inviting participants to write “letters of hope” and make muck shoes for refugees, and a panel of experts who spoke with authority and passion about the roots of the conflict and its possible solutions.

By providing a channel for learning and action to residents of western Massachusetts, the committee has moved well beyond simple compassion to effective action. Whatever the outcome of Trump’s military and diplomatic actions, such deep veins of awareness will ensure that awareness of Syria’s plight endures even once today’s headlines fade.

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