Pentagon Is Ordered to Expand Potential Targets in Syria With a Focus on Forces

NY Times ^ | 9/5/13 | DAVID E. SANGER and ERIC SCHMITT

[jimbo123]

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.

-snip-

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.

-snip-

The bulk of the American attack is still expected to be carried out by cruise missiles from some or all of the four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers within striking range of Syria in the eastern Mediterranean. Each ship carries about three dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles, a low-flying, highly accurate weapon that can be launched from safe distances of up to about 1,000 miles.

-snip-

But military planners are now preparing options to include attacks from Air Force bombers, a development reported Thursday by The Wall Street Journal. The Pentagon was initially planning to rely solely on cruise missiles.

Bombers could carry scores more munitions, potentially permitting the United States to carry out more strikes if the first wave does not destroy the targets.

Among the options available are B-52 bombers, which can carry air-launched cruise missiles; B-1s that are based in Qatar and carry long-range, air-to-surface missiles; and B-2 stealth bombers, which are based in Missouri and carry satellite-guided bombs.

[jimbo123]

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.

[stars & stripes forever]

President Obama, we are not playing BATTLESHIP. Playtime is over.

[Diogenesis]

Whatever al Qaeda needs, whereever al Qaeda needs it,
the (previously US) Pentagon will provide,
directed by an UNDOCUMENTED Impostor from Indonesia and/or Kenya,
without so much as a real birth certificate
or an iota of connection to the US Constitution.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

The real problem:::Obama!!! Democrats....force this anti-American Obama to resign...or, join with Republicans and impeach this failed, incompetent POTUS Obama!!!

[yldstrk]

it ain’t a video game obama

[Mouton]

It won’t be long now till the next planned expansion will be for US ground troops to “mop up” which will then be expanded to defend against a counter strike. This is a bottomless pit and we are approaching it at increasing speed.

This is the wrong war, at the wrong time, in the wrong place, attribute to General Bradley.

[HereInTheHeartland]

There was no red line; and there will be no boots on the ground.
Instead of boots; our military will be wearing footwear.

[OpusatFR]

We are going to attack whatever comes. The point at which analysis believes Russia and China and Iran will grin and bear it had better be right. ~They are not capable of taking us on on in a fight. They don’t have the capability and training to do so. They will not endanger the world (read their) economies. They will not risk a war spreading into the rest of the ME and med basin, they will only use proxies to attack smaller less hardened targets and so forth.~

And just how many times has analysis failed?

The Obama Admin lost the critical advantage in the early days of the Syrian civil war.

Opportunity once lost cannot be regained without an exponential expenditure of energy, time, money and blood. ~Not to mention, luck.

Let’s hope our luck has not run out.

[struggle]

All for some Saudi $$

[jimbo123]

[basil]

“This is the wrong war, at the wrong time, in the wrong place “ AND WITH THE WRONG CIC!!!

[PowderMonkey]

Crap. Sounds like war gaming by the girls on the Homecoming committee. In the lead, an ineffectual community organizer, incapable of presenting even the semblance of command authority.

[AD from SpringBay]

This is a dangerous time. For the first time in probably his entire life, Great Leader is being told ‘no’ in a very public way. He’s not getting a ‘quota’ pass nor is he getting credit for doing nothing. He has discovered the world doesn’t really work on UC Berkley pathology. So what is he going to do? Right now he’s rattling his Swiss Army knife. If his ego refuses to back down, the situation is not going to end well.

[kabar]

We have to kill Syrians to save Syrians.