Posted on 04/27/2013 6:20:01 PM PDT by haffast
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite President Barack Obama's pledge that Syria's use of chemical weapons is a "game changer" for the United States, he is unlikely to turn to military options quickly and would want allies joining him in any intervention.
Possible military choices range from limited one-off missile strikes from ships - one of the less complicated scenarios - to bolder operations like carving out no-fly safe zones.
One of the most politically unpalatable possibilities envisions sending tens of thousands of U.S. forces to help secure Syrian chemical weapons.
Obama has so far opposed limited steps, like arming anti-government rebels, but pressure to deepen U.S. involvement in Syria's civil war has grown since Thursday's White House announcement that President Bashar al-Assad likely used chemical weapons.
After fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon is wary of U.S. involvement in Syria. The president's top uniformed military adviser, General Martin Dempsey, said last month he could not see a U.S. military option with an "understandable outcome" there.
"There's a lot of analysis to be done before reaching any major decisions that would push U.S. policy more in the direction of military options," a senior U.S. official told Reuters.
That caution is understandable, given the experience of Iraq where the United States went to war based on bad intelligence about weapons of mass destruction. The Pentagon has made repeated warnings of the enormous risks and limitations of using American military might in Syria's civil war.
snip
(Excerpt) Read more at uk.news.yahoo.com ...
Better to save our own military strength and materiel for work in North Korea or Iran.
Bump.
0Bamma’s a coward! Nuff said!
The Geopolitics of Israel’s Offshore Gas Reserves
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs ^ | 4-3-2013 | David Wurmser
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3005392/posts
War-Gaming the Mullahs
The U.S. weighs the price of a pre-emptive strike
Newsweek 2004
http://www.911jobforums.com/f66/war-gaming-mullahs-35149-print/
If U.S. Troops Fight WWIII, Who Fights the Coming American Civil War?
Posted on September 27, 2012
By Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul
http://survivalistinvestor.com/if-u-s-troops-fight-wwiii-who-fights-the-coming-american-civil-war/31681
If the Chief Panty Waist had responded when they crossed the first “red line”, it would have been simple.
We told them not to enter the storage location.
We should have had a MOAB on standby and used it when they entered the compound.
But....that was just before the election, you see.......
Help the Syrian Christians with refugee visas, most to Europe, then to Australia , USA, Canada. Let the rest have at it. Asad’s crowd is no worse than the rest. The whole region is not worth the blood of one GI.
Iran-Syria Gas Pipe to Run Through Iraq
By Chana Ya'ar - 2/20/2013, 3:00 PM
"Iraq has approved plans to run a natural gas pipeline through its territory from Iran to Syria."
U.S. brushes off Iran-Iraq-Syria gas line
Nov. 20, 2012 at 7:26 AM
excerpted:
"The U.S. government said plans by Iran to build a natural gas pipeline through Iraq to Syria may run into problems with economic sanctions."
"Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, brushed off the report, saying Washington has seen similar reports on the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline "six or seven or 10 or 15 times before, and it never seems to materialize."
"I would simply say that the construction of any kind of an Iranian-Syrian pipeline could potentially raise sanctions issues under U.S. law on either Iran or Syria, including for international entities who might decide to participate in it either by financing or by construction," she said.
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/11/20/US-brushes-off-Iran-Iraq-Syria-gas-line/UPI-36621353414380/#ixzz2RRMiBd8v
The longer the US and Israel can delay and disrupt Syrian to Iran pipeline, the closer Israel will be to having their natural gas and oil production online with sales to Europe (2015-16?).
Israel will price their oil in USD like our other "friends" in the region, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait etc, keeping the "Petro-Dollar" system afloat. A win-win for the US. Plus we can sell 'em stuff. Everybody happy happy. (Except maybe the Russians and China)
Iran-Syria Gas Pipe to Run Through Iraq
By Chana Ya'ar - 2/20/2013, 3:00 PM
"Iraq has approved plans to run a natural gas pipeline through its territory from Iran to Syria."
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/165466#.UXlfiUp1pkg
Timing is everything! (Mine sucks)
Say what you will about Putin , but he is a MAN , unlike that poser in the WH .
The pipeline situation may be a good motivation for Iran to acquire Iraqi soil in the Kurdistan Region (see map below). Iran needs new access to oil energy. But, it is not the only motivation. I can see Iran expanding its power through northern Iraq through Syria, to the Mediterranean for port access. That would give Iran military access for more sinister efforts.
Remember the good old days when a President couldn’t commit US military forces without the prior consent of the people’s representatives in the Congress?
Quaint idea, that...
...”obama is afraid of Putin”....
You can say that again!..and Putin knows it.
Here’s the one truism, the Marxist Media in all areas is lying, 100% guaranteed. The entire Political establishment is 100% fraud. Don’t vote it only encourages them.
I'm not a ME expert, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn last night.
Iran is not "seeking access to oil energy", it wants to continue selling the oil and natural gas it has to Europe.
The US and its allies (Europe) consider Iran a state supporter of terrorism and has applied economic sanctions on them to choke the ever loving nuclear crap out of them. Iran's economy is a mess. Their people are suffering.
Until Iran gives up the nukes, Europe's not buying, and not a market for Iran's oil. Iran has no need for a pipeline right now, and no funds to build it.
The uses and limits of Iran sanctions By David Frum, CNN Contributor
updated 10:35 AM EDT, Mon October 15, 2012
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/opinion/frum-iran-sanctions
A History Of U.S. Sanctions Against Iran
January 17, 2012
http://usforeignpolicy.about.com/od/alliesenemies/a/A-History-Of-U-S-Sanctions-Against-Iran.htm
Israel is our largest export market in the region and our closest ally. We'll $ide with them and promote the development of their newly found natural ga$/oil wealth.
“Yes there is a good military option, keep our military out of Syria.”
May the fleas of a thousand dogs be upon you. You just stole what I was going to say. Even better if they’re using cehmical weaons on each other. The Muzzies will just come to hate each other more than before and keep on killing each other. All that does is make us safer.
It’s not like Muslims are killing Christians over there. What the hell is the hurry to stop one of Israel’s neighbors from destroying itself?
Iran’s electricity production is growing about eight percent a year. It has struggled to keep up with demand and has used that problem to justify its nuclear program. It does have a large amount of oil and natural gas, but would rather sell it to other countries. So, a pipeline would make sense for such exports. My idea that the pipeline would bring oil and natural gas into Iran was mistaken.
Iran says it wants to make use of nuclear technology for electricity. The Iranian government argues that seven gigawatts of nuclear power generation would free up 190 million barrels per year of oil, equivalent to 13 percent of the country’s current production, or $7 billion annually (depending on what the market price is). However, if Iran would put more investment in its fossil fuel resources, it would meet its energy needs as well as its export supply in a way that is more economical than a reliance on nuclear energy. Also, Iran does not calculate the fact of its limited Uranium capacity. It will soon run out of Uranium and will need to import enough to meet its needs.
I now see the pipeline running through Iraq and into Syria as a strategic component to Iran’s future energy market.
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