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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPentagon Is Ordered to Expand Potential Targets in Syria With a Focus on Forces (Using Aircraft)
WASHINGTON President Obama has directed the Pentagon to develop an expanded list of potential targets in Syria in response to intelligence suggesting that the government of President Bashar al-Assad has been moving troops and equipment used to employ chemical weapons while Congress debates whether to authorize military action.
Mr. Obama, officials said, is now determined to put more emphasis on the degrade part of what the administration has said is the goal of a military strike against Syria to deter and degrade Mr. Assads ability to use chemical weapons. That means expanding beyond the 50 or so major sites that were part of the original target list developed with French forces before Mr. Obama delayed action on Saturday to seek Congressional approval of his plan.
For the first time, the administration is talking about using American and French aircraft to conduct strikes on specific targets, in addition to ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. There is a renewed push to get other NATO forces involved.
The strikes would be aimed not at the chemical stockpiles themselves risking a potential catastrophe but rather the military units that have stored and prepared the chemical weapons and carried the attacks against Syrian rebels, as well as the headquarters overseeing the effort, and the rockets and artillery that have launched the attacks, military officials said Thursday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/world/middleeast/pentagon-is-ordered-to-expand-potential-targets-in-syria-with-a-focus-on-forces.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=0
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)You can't spell mission creep without creep!
Autumn
(45,109 posts)Jesus Christ on a crutch, this is getting stupid.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)Autumn
(45,109 posts)Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)this looks like an all out war.
Especially if they are considering using aircraft against Syria's sophisticated air defense system which cruise missiles will have to take out.
leftstreet
(36,109 posts)pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)...a bigger shovel.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)This is intended to get their vote.
morningfog
(18,115 posts)MotherPetrie
(3,145 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)We haven't even started but it has
morningfog
(18,115 posts)R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)Securing airbases, supply lines into the country, friendly airbases....
morningfog
(18,115 posts)malletgirl02
(1,523 posts)"Privately, some members of the Obama administration appear concerned that General Dempseys presentations to Congress particularly his repeated assertions that any American intervention in Syria is unlikely to have a decisive effect on the civil war are undercutting the administrations argument that the attacks, while targeted, would also change Mr. Assads calculus. "
This quote is especially telling. It says that the administration is having a problem with Dempsey saying that America's intervention is unlikely to have an effection the Syrian civil war. First Dempseys job is to give a truthful assesment of the plan of action based on his expereince. Waht does the administration want him to do lie? Secondly the administration was first "this is is a limited strike how dare you sat we are thinking about how strikes will effect the civil war" and now the administration is like, "how dare you General Dempsey for saying our strikes won't have an effect of the civil war"
fujiyama
(15,185 posts)to "expanded".