'I don't trust Donald Trump:' Syrian newcomers in N.B. concerned about U.S. attack

Reaction to the U.S. missile strike against a Syrian airbase has some Syrian newcomers in New Brunswick looking with a wary eye.

Though they welcome anything that helps end the six-year war, they don't think that is what the airstrike was about.

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Mohammad Al-Khateeb says that initially, he was happy with the news.

"At first time I thought it's good for us, but when I was thinking, I thought, it's just a message for world," said Al-Khateeb, who has been in Canada for 14 months.

Mohammad Bakhash has been in the country since 2016 and works at the Multicultural Centre in Fredericton.

"For me, I don't trust Donald Trump," he said. "This attack is just for a media show. He just wants to show that we are here, and we are most strong force in the world, but it's not to stop the killing."

Bakhash said he can't reconcile Trump's words of caring for the victims of this week's chemical weapons attack in Syria with his unwillingness to welcome refugees.

"How can we accept the idea that Donald Trump is thinking about people there, while he is banning people from entering his state, to enter his country?" said Bakhash.

He said it's hard to forget Trump also wants to build a wall and prevent people from some countries, including Syria, from getting into the U.S.

"How could we forget all that and believe that he is going to protect the people there?"

Thinks U.S. won't do enough

Bakhash doesn't believe the U.S. is going to get involved enough to end the war.

But Al-Khateeb said the mood of the texts on his phone are in support of the bombings.

"For Syrian people, I think it's 'yes', because we need help from anyone to finish our war," he said.

Al-Khateeb and Bakhash still have family in Syria.