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To: maggief; hoosiermama; TigersEye; penelopesire; ConservativeMan55; AllAmericanGirl44; Nachum; ...

Heads up from Stratfor interesting meeting by Joint Chiefs chairman. Excerpt

To this end, on Monday Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey co-hosted an emergency meeting in Amman, Jordan, attended by the defense chiefs of Turkey, Jordan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Though all countries could participate to some extent, the countries most relevant to a military response include Turkey, France, the United Kingdom and Jordan. Turkey, Jordan and the United Kingdom (from Cyprus) have the most bases to contribute to a Syria operation, and NATO members Turkey, the United Kingdom and France could play a potentially significant role in air and naval strikes. Given that Turkey and Jordan are particularly vulnerable to retaliation from Iran and Syria, the diplomacy surrounding their participation will be critical to watch in the coming days. The more serious the United States is about building a legitimate coalition for an attack, the longer preparations for an attack will take.

Notably, the White House has yet to define the mission of the impending operation. The United States can opt for a largely symbolic, limited strike that relies on stand-off weapons, such as Tomahawk cruise missiles. Such an operation could get the other coalition partners more involved. It would also be relatively brief. The problem is that it would invite retaliation, and it would still probably fail to eliminate the actual chemical weapons stockpiles, which are difficult and dangerous to strike from the air.

Otherwise, the United States could opt for a more systematic military campaign, which would involve air and naval strikes against command and control nodes, artillery sites, air bases and weapons facilities to severely degrade the regime’s military capabilities. Such an operation would run the risk of cracking the regime and the armed forces. In this scenario, the United States would have to consider a more comprehensive military campaign that would entail deploying ground forces to secure all weapons sites and prepare for the resultant power vacuum in Damascus that jihadists are bound to exploit. The United States would have to move more resources into theater if Washington decided to execute a comprehensive military strike


29 posted on 08/26/2013 5:54:30 PM PDT by crosslink (Moderates should play in the middle of a busy street)
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To: crosslink

Why don’t they just ask Assad to give up the chemical weapons and get Russia on board in a diplomatic effort? Sure sounds easier and less expensive...lol

I can’t believe no one has even asked the WH that question!!!

Truth is..the elite global powers don’t want that. They want Assad out and the chem weapons are a pretext..probably a manufactured one.


33 posted on 08/26/2013 6:36:14 PM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: crosslink

Just stunning. I am disgusted with this admin that is a parody of what a functioning government truly is.

I have to sensor myself, I am so freakin livid today!
The thoughts I’ve had are very unhealthy.


38 posted on 08/26/2013 9:35:44 PM PDT by AllAmericanGirl44 ('Hey citizen, what's in YOUR closet?')
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