****RUMSFELD ORDERS PENTAGON DRAWING UP OF SYRIAN INVASION PLANS**** (Dow Jones Newswire)

New York Newsday and Dow Jones Newswire ^ | April 10, 2003 | staff report

[ewing]

An intelligence source says that United States Defence Secetary Donald Rumsfeld last week ordered the drawing up of contingency plans for a possible invasion of Syria, New York Newsday reported Thursday.

According to the newspaper's website, Undersecretary of Defence Douglas Ferth is working on a policy paper highlighting how the nation of Syria's support of terrorist groups is a threat to the region.

But the newspaper also reported that a senior Pentagon officer said he was unaware of any new planning involving Syria.

Secretary Rumsfled said Wednesday that Syria had allowed Iraqi regieme figures to enter the nation and provided Iraq with military technology.

[humblegunner]

Well, since we're in the neighborhood...

And we've brought all our toys...

[Justin Thyme]

You're right. BTW, the Pentagon probably has contingency plans for the invasion, or at least embassy evactuation under fire, for just about every nation we deal with. These contingency plans exist, and are continually updated.

That does not mean an invasion is imminent (although in this case, I wouldn't rule it out either).

[finnman69]

IT'S NOT NICE TO FOOL MR. RUMSFELD.

[kjam22]

Yep.... the administrations map of a peaceful middle east doesn't have Syria on it.

[jriemer]

That would explain why the the 4th ID is in theater. Their top of the line, high-tech equipment would be a relative waste in a peace-keeping role.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

Here's the direct link to the story on Command Post.

[aristeides]

I imagine this news was leaked as a way of putting additional pressure on Syria.

[Petronski]

I gotta believe those plans are already on the hard drive, and that this 'leak' is a warning.

[blau993]

We probably have plans for the invasion of canada (and should enact, to spare the canadians any further embarrassment from Cretin's gov't).

I have seen those plans. They are brilliant. A Boy Scout Troop from Cutler, Maine will drive straght up the coast with cover from the sea being provided by the Bar Harbor Yacht Club. Meanwhile, a squad of bicycle mounted Campfire Girls will push North from Detroit, capture Windsor, Ontario, and clear the way for the capture of Ottowa by a company of Second Amendment Sisters. Special Forces of the US Forest Service are already working with dissident groups in Western Canada, which is expected to fall without a fight and quickly become the 51st State.

[peeve23]

BTW, didn't we once upon a time have evidence that the Syrians were complicit in the Marine Barracks bombing in Lebanon that killed 283? Weren't they the funders/protectors of the terrorist group that did the deed?

[ewing]

Thanks.

[ZULU]

Its better to do the whole job all at once instead of waiting for things to get out of hand again. Now, if they can just shut Powell up for a few weeks and keep him away from the U.N. everything should turn out o.k.

[DCPatriot]

If the Syrians had half of a brain, they would turn over all Iraqis that have entered their "country" (read: sh*t hole)within the past 90 days, YESTERDAY!

[raybo]

We've already got a rolling start and we should just roll right to the Med and load up.

[TomGuy]

Do it now or do it later. Didn't we learn from 1991?

[aristeides]

What makes sense in this is that the Ba'ath Party is the major (only) party in BOTH Iraq and Syria. They're in bed with one another and are butt buddies.

Until recently, the two ruling Ba'ath Parties were very much opposed to each other.

[Saturnalia]

So, where are we going to get the bling bling to pay for the occupation?

[gulfcoast6]

Why not, we are in the neighborhood.

[peeve23]

ROTFLOL.

You should expand that to an article and blog it someplace.

:>)

[aristeides]

I thought that (the bombing of the Beirut barracks in Beirut) was Hizbollah, which has much closer relations with Iran.