Exclusive: Obama, aides expected to weigh Syria military options on Friday

Reuters ^ | 10-13-2016 | Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay

[tcrlaf]

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said.

Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk losing what influence it still has over moderate rebels and its Arab, Kurdish and Turkish allies in the fight against Islamic State, the officials told Reuters.

One set of options includes direct U.S. military action such as air strikes on Syrian military bases, munitions depots or radar and anti-aircraft bases, said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

This official said one danger of such action is that Russian and Syrian forces are often co-mingled, raising the possibility of a direct confrontation with Russia that Obama has been at pains to avoid.

U.S. officials said they consider it unlikely that Obama will order U.S. air strikes on Syrian government targets, and they stressed that he may not make any decisions at the planned meeting of his National Security Council.

One alternative, U.S. officials said, is allowing allies to provide U.S.-vetted rebels with more sophisticated weapons, although not shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, which Washington fears could be used against Western airliners.

The White House declined to comment.

[Cobra64]

Wow, I couldn’t agree more.

[Pilgrim's Progress]

THIS JUST IN . . . BULLETIN . . . BULLETIN . . . BULLETIN

“As President of the United States I am through my executive powers as the President of the United States officially ordering that a red line be drawn on all maps of Syria effective immediately. Do not cross the official red line or I will be forced to draw another red line and pretty soon your country’s map will look like a red checkerboard!”

Barry S. Soetoro . . .

[agere_contra]

Broadcasting to the enemy that you may take action. How stupid is that?

Obama is preparing the ground for his 3rd term, where he suspends elections and "reluctantly stays on to fight the war he was forced into" or some crap like that.