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"YOu can see the terrain around the coast has some ranges, but at 18 miles roughly fm the port, they would be a good defensive position around the beachhead. After that it's "tank country" - the syrians wouldn't last three days."

True, but we'd be coming in from the West via Iraq...or Israel would be coming in from the South via Lebanon (which is ripe for the taking right now).

That being said, a *leaked* story to the liberal Washington Post by unnamed military "sources" reaks of our traitorous CIA repeating again the anti-Iran stories that they ran just before we invaded Iraq...i.e., the CIA tried to confuse us, tried to divert our attention, etc.

In this case, Iran is abou to have the Bomb...yet suddenly we start seeing Intel on Syria stirring up trouble.

do we really want to waste time and resources putting down Syria in the West when Iran in the East is the problem?!

Heavens no! And for that reason, this new anonymous leak to the Washington Post is doubly suspicious. Syria doesn't have the Bomb. Syria isn't about to get the Bomb, either (unless it cares to make us mad enough to do some American nuclear testing there).

But here goes the Washington Post "whisper" campaign. Suddenly Syria is the bad guy. Oh no, don't look at Iran building the Bomb, squeals the 3 little pigs at the WaPost. Don't fret about the oil for food scandal at our precious UN, they plead. No, they cry...Syria is your new badman. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket, it's Syria. We've just "got" to hit Syria right now, they demand.

Color me suspicious.

Your theory that it is spin to deflect from Iran is just too Byzantine. It would not surprise me in the least that Syria is given succor to the perps in Iraq. The issue is what to do about it. Send in the CIA with some poisoned umbrella tips I say.

Not discounting your suspicion regarding the CIA, and for that matter, we also need to be careful about Israel (and other interested parties) tugging on our cape as well, but there has been a far too much evidence pointing to Syria and Saddam's WMD (and other connections), and Syria would be a fast take-down (as compared with Iran).

On a scale of 1-10, a Syria conquest is probably a 2, while Iran (or NK, for that matter) would be at least a 6 or 7. Without the cooperation of the populace -- doubtful if they are overtly attacked -- subduing Iran would probably require a ground force twice the size of what we currently have deployed in Iraq, and possibly tactical nukes.

... and all the others on your ping list.

good points - a healthy and suspicious regard for our self-anointed "unbiased" media mavens is the first aware thought I like to have every morning I wake up.

That being said, the compost like most other MSM plays catchup on these matters - witness their 4 month delay in reporting on Abu Ghraib (after the Army had already announced it earlier along with the commencement of the internal investigation) or their attempt to sludge (take away the legs by reporting it 10 days after I first saw it here on the Freep...) the foiled terrorist attack on Jordan last year that came fm Syria.

They're both (Syria & Iran) enemies, both deathly afraid of a pluralistic government giving birth in Iraq - the way I see it, political shrillness fm the wapo, nyt & others is nothing more than clashing of cymbals lost in the death throes of a media who is going down with the ship and taking their Gramscian 'march through the institutions' control of the message with them.

It doesn't change the basic equation in the area, which is that we are there in the strategic center, with interior LOC, capable (and now, demonstrably willing to...) of striking our enemies. As for who comes first, that's a matter of initiative... and in this war, the American Eagle will swoop down upon its prey at the time of it's choosing.

CGVet58

But here goes the Washington Post "whisper" campaign. Suddenly Syria is the bad guy. Oh no, don't look at Iran building the Bomb, squeals the 3 little pigs at the WaPost. Don't fret about the oil for food scandal at our precious UN, they plead. No, they cry...Syria is your new badman. Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket, it's Syria. We've just "got" to hit Syria right now, they demand.

Last time I checked, Syria isn't even listed for the Axis of Evil linup. Coach GWB hasn't issued a revised batting order either.