arming the “vetted” opposition AND back to boots on the ground:
Hagel to Corker: “it was June of this year that the Pres made the decision to support lethal assistance to the opposition, as you all know. We have been very supportive with hundreds of millions of dollars with non-lethal assistance.
The vetting process, as Sec State Kerry has noted has been significant, but I’ll ask Dempsey if he wants to add anything. But we Dept of Def have not been directly involved in this. This is, as you know, covert action....
Dempsey to Corker: The path to the Syrian conflict is through a developed, capable moderate opposition, and we know how to do that....
We are very focused on the response to the chemical weapons. I think that subsequent to that we would probably RETURN to have a discussion about what we might do with the moderate opposition in a more overt way....
Kerry to Corker: As a said in my opening comments that the consequence of degrading his chemical capacity inevitably will also have a downstream impact on his military capacity....
Corker came back to Kerry’s “boots on the ground” response and said he did not find that response very satisfactory....We need to work through something that is much clearer than the answer you gave....
Kerry: Well, let me very clear now cause I don’t want anything coming out of this hearing that leaves any door open to any possibilities. So, let’s shut that door now as tight as we can.
All I did was raise a hypothetical question about some possibility and I’m thinking out loud about how to protect America’s interests. But, if you want to know whether there is any-—the answer is whatever prohibition clarifies it to Congress and the American people, there will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war.
now all should know why Hillary is off the stage.....She cannot be seen in Kerry’s shoes for 2016