Any guesses what USA will do next re: Syria?
 

My guess is that as soon as we get our people home, we'll immediately launch air strikes intended to be surgical. I'm not very well-informed but I trust my gut that our military is scrambling as I write.
Praying...

(please refrain from pejorative and/or partisan comments)
Be :coolsmiley:

Hopefully nothing. While the chemical attacks were horrific it doesn't warrant US military intervention at any level.

Another attack has taken place. This situation is now TWO years old, and the USA is a very bad spot with a not easy decision to make.

If we strike on our own, the question is to what end, what goal are we going for ?

What targets do you hit...remember, ANY attack would be a favor for the most part for Al Queda, as supposedly it weakens the incumbent government.

What will be the reaction through the world to this ?

I cannot guess and hope wisdom prevails.

Kerry in a few minutes

If we do attack, The USA will gain nothing !

we should follow the UK's decision.

WWJD

I think it's time for the US to stop being the world's keeper. We do not have a lot of support on Syria. We simply do not have enough money to keep doing this. As much as I don't have much respect for the UN, it's about time they step up.

My guess is we'll create a greater instability in the area .Leave and let the Taliban take over just like every other country we have occupied in the Middle East. We have no leadership in this country what makes us think we can help else where .We only pay foreign leaders to cooperate that gets our politicians re elected.

Few certainties about this gassing of innocents. But it does effectively take attention off our government's Benghazi connection to Syria.

I agree with Dennis Kucinich on this one, including on the Libyan debacle.

You make a good point, which I mentioned in an earlier post, a concern is exactly what Kucinich said .....""So what, we're about to become Al Qaeda's air force now?"

A big decision and as of this morning, I thought we were going to do nothing in the way of military, but Kerry made it clear.

Waiting now for POTUS and we may know more.

IMO any attack on Syria is just strengthening the AlQueda regime by weakening the existing govt. What can we possibly accomplish by air strikes when we have no other goal then to slap the wrist of the Assad? As if he cares. I agree it's time for the US to stop being the patsy for the UN. It is not our place to police the world and intervene in every conflict. The US is NEVER going to bring peace to the middle east. These people live in turmoil, always have and alweys will.

Unless we get some international consensus, nothing.

What connection is that?

Reports that AlQueda is using Benghazi to train their folks for Syria combat, and also for Libya.

The thought (from my interpretation) is anything we do will bolster and make Al Queda even stronger in the area.

As I said I did not think we would do anything until listening to Kerry.

Still, we have tolerated tons more deaths over the past two years than this attack, so POTUS can still back off

U.N. step up?
 

Instead of the U.N. stepping up, I would like to see them step down & turn off the lights on their way out. They are an ineffective bunch of self important, over paid, pompous do-nothings afraid to confront any situation.

MY GUESS IS NOTHING as the RED LINE was already crossed and Nothing was done.

As they play the American people like a fiddle...kabuki theater.

This connection, linked below. Any kind of diversion of attention away from it would be welcomed, I'm sure.

"The television network said that a CIA team was working in an annex near the consulate on a project to supply missiles from Libyan armouries to Syrian rebels."

CIA 'running arms smuggling team in Benghazi when consulate was attacked' - Telegraph

IMO, simply said, it is in the national interest of the US to suppress use of chemical warfare and nuclear warfare, globally.

The middle east is a powder keg with ally Israel in the middle of it, who will share intel how to go about suppression but can't do it themselves without repercussions from many Arab nations.

No, it isn't our job to go in, but personally, if I were on a street watching innocents being slaughtered, I'd probably not think about whose job it was to stop it.
My guess is we will strike within 36 hours after getting the inspection team out.

ps I opposed Iraq from before it started as meddling based on no clear evidence...

Ok...while your emotions may be shared by many......

Strike to do exactly what ??????

Strike where ? Military, where ?

Are you suggesting to take down the regime ? I doubt that. So, again....what is the goal of your "strike"

Would not the "powder keg" become worse ? See Israel, Iran, Russia response PLUS would it not help the Al Queda forces fighting Syria ?

Bucco, LOL, I'm just predicting what the US will do, not planning it.. I am guessing we will use air strikes to hit centers where the chemicals are stored and equipment and personnel used to distribute them.
Again, I'm not suggesting what to do, just guessing. Regime change? guess not.
didn't quite get the meaning of your last sentence.
IMO Israel is most vulnerable to attack by chems and can do nothing without the keg going off.

my guess is that it will put itself on paid administrative leave like it does with all of the other things it doesn't know what to do with! ;)

Well, if you hit the storage of chemical weapons you run a huge risk of mass deaths by the same means you are protesting.

What I meant at the end, is my biggest fear is the aftermath. I do not see Iran, or Hezbollah doing nothing, and Israel becomes a huge target.

Sad times recently.

in addition to adding more instability there is a chance the Alqueda faction could come out ahead and then feature the result....Alqueda with a chemical weapons stockpile!!!!!

There is nothing we can do to make a difference. Can't we just look at Iraq and Afghanistan and add up all the years, the American lives, the hundreds of billions of dollars and what do we have to show for it. Wasted American lives and billions of $$ down the drain or in people like Karzai's pockets.

All this to do about a slap on the wrist as it is being called to frighten Abdaad.....yeah I am sure we will frighten him like we frieghten the guy in North Korea.

Time for the USA to stop trying to change a people's culture that has time and again demonstarted that is not what they want.


btk

Don't know how to protect against possible chemical release for civilians..
really am ignorant about how those chemicals behave...

this article says "only 60% of Israelis have gas mask kits in their homes"

Israelis rush to gas masks centers for fear of strike on Syria - Xinhua | English.news.cn

A picture worth a thousand words.....

My Way News Photo - Syria Strike Risks

whoa........anybody know why we would get involved in a "civil-war"?

The POTUS is talking about "no boots on ground".....
....and...surgical strikes against the so called "bad guys".

In My Humble Opinion, that would be like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

...can anyone show "proof " of who was responsible for the ALLEGED
chemical attack on the Syrian citizens ?

...do we remember what we were told by the intelligence community
about WMD's in Iraq.?

...do we remember the "so-called surgical strikes" in Iraq ?

... do we remember the woman who had all SEVEN Sons killed by a
mis-directed surgical strike in Iraq ?
....did we not understand the consequences the Widows and children and extended families promised will be brought upon the USA ?

... do we remember what Robert S. McNamara revealed about the
"so-called" Gulf of Tonkin Incident ?

Today....
....Iran and Russia are working together to prevent a Western military attack on Syria.

...Russia is deploying a missile cruiser from The Black Sea ...and...
... a large anti-submarine ship from their Northern fleet to prepare
for any actions on the part of the USA.

Russia ALREADY has SIXTEEN warships and 3 ship based helicopters in
The Mediterranean. Waiting for us to make a move.
........ USA has made statements in the last 18 months which
have raised the ire of Russia and Iran.

Putin had a conversation with Angela Merkel on Friday 30- Aug.
...anybody want to guess what that was about.?

The near term decisions of the USA could have LONG term
consequences.

:agree:

Whatever our government does, I'm confident it will be the wrong thing.

We MUST stop poking the middle east. Kill 100,000 using conventional weapons and that was accepted. Kill 1400 with gas and now its time for another War. Without consensus of the rest of the world and since we are not directly attacked, I say stay the he&& out of it. We simply must stop being the worlds police before the world retaliates on us here.

How true.

They have been hacking people to death over there with machetes. What difference does it make how people die.

Machetes, chemical weapons, wart hog gun ships that spew thousands of rounds a second. Dead is dead.

Where are the TOTVers who are watching Al Gazeera now that it's available?

Putin demands US provide Syria attack proof - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Here's an interesting tidbit in this article from Aljazeera:
"On Tuesday, the Arab League accused the Syrian regime of carrying out chemical weapons attacks.
Permanent representatives condemned the "horrible crime carried out with internationally prohibited chemical weapons" and put the "entire responsibility" on Assad's regime."

Off topic
 

You are quite the wordsmith "pejorative and/or partisan comments"- -well said

the even more sad part of this whole circus is the media tracking the "whatever action" like it was a given time table for flight or train arrivals.
Since when did the when and where and how execution of military tactics become public dialogue?

Every single day by every single news provider we have to listen what the options are, who said what today, reporting that the POTUS has all the facts but has not decided yet, Kerry continuing to pour gasoline on the fire by saying we got the info and we are going to do it.

It is so self politicized it is a joke. Can you imagine what the so called enemy is doing? Digging in, hiding what they don't want to be found, Assaad is no doubt deep in hiding and the press continues to yelp...ready or not...no I mean I think we are ready....no,no we are not ready yet....and my favorite we are ready but haven't made a decision yet.

We played that game for 3 months before attacking Iraq.....hmmmmnnnn I wonder if they could have hidden what ever was not supposed to be there. Nah, that would not be fair.

This has become a game of personal testosterone bluff by those in power with little to do with the killing of innocents. Just like the daily killing of innocents continues but the only news worthy ones are the ones in the media's and those in power's cross hairs.

Totally and completely disgusting displays of politics with the American people being sucked in....again.....as usual.....GET YOUR CHECK BOOK OUT UNCLE SAM!!.

btk

Thank goodness we don't make these decisions. :doh:

is it at all possible that the pussy-footing is all about taxes and the debt ceiling?

'The White House has been banking on defense hawks within the GOP breaking ranks with Tea Party conservatives and embracing a debt deal that includes some higher taxes and reverses cuts to domestic programs.

'Their hope is that the cuts to the Pentagon will grow so painful, some defense-minded lawmakers will accept more tax revenue as part of a deal to end the defense cuts.

'That effort needs a shot in the arm.

'Obama faced a setback this week when secretive White House debt talks with Senate GOP centrists were suspended indefinitely over the issue of new taxes. Experts also cautioned that for the Syrian action to move the fiscal goalposts, they will need to be successful and popular with the public.'

Some see Syria as edge for Obama in fiscal showdown (Video) - The Hill's On The Money

Yes, that.....and that the pussy-footing is all about cluelessness as to what to do while rattling the cages of Iran, Russia, etc.

"It is so self politicized it is a joke"

This is unfortunately has become the dominate factor, and it should not even be a consideration.

I will give POTUS the benefit of the doubt until he speaks to the nation and I hear the motives and desired result. Remember he still has an out if he wants it to avoid some very uncomfortable times next week with Putin in Russia, and that is not to say that what Putin thinks is important, it is just that the timing of this is uncomfortable. Will wait to hear from the POTUS.

You are taking about the same stance as me on this big issue. No problem with that.

I would like to know why you continue to use POTUS instead of saying President Obama? It is shorter, easier to type, official, but rather impersonal, don't you think? Nothing wrong with it from a technical viewpoint - but ...