Posted on 09/06/2013 10:07:23 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
(CBS News) The Pentagon has expanded the list of potential targets for a U.S. military strike on Syria, based on intelligence indicating that the Assad regime has moved around equipment used to deploy chemical weapons in anticipation of a potential attack.
A Pentagon official insisted to CBS News correspondent David Martin that the scope of the operation has not changed, which President Obama has described as limited and tailored. The military began adding new targets to the list as Syrian troops started moving equipment "they think might be targeted and hiding some of it so the U.S. cannot find it again," Martin reports.
The widening list of targets is part of an effort to guarantee that the U.S. can do enough damage to make this strike worthwhile and to truly disincentivize the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons in the future.
"They have to keep adding targets so they have a sufficient target list to accomplish two missions," Martin said, "One is to damage Syria's ability to use chemical weapons again and two, is to discourage the Syrian military from thinking that whatever advantage they get out of using chemical weapons is worth the damage they're going to suffer from a retaliatory strike from the U.S."
Despite the Pentagon official's insistence that the scale of the operation remains the same, Martin reports that adding targets, the possibility of using an aircraft to strike these new locations comes into play and raises the stakes of U.S. involvement. "Aircraft carry bigger weapons than [are] carried on cruise missiles," Martin said.
"Once you add aircraft, you vastly increase the complexity of this operation. You put pilots up in the air and that means you need aerial refueling ... you need search and rescue...
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
These people don’t get it, do they?
Not. At. All.
The shit is going to hit the fan soon Jim.
I saw someone did a photo-shop comparing this to Pearl Harbor, maybe they should photo-shop “Tora, Tora, Tora”.
They're like the little kids in that TV commercial, "more is better"
I fear Tuesday night’s address by Obama will be to announce the missiles are in the air.
I'm curious about this goal. So, chemical "weapons" must be in some sort of canister with 'dispersing' not too much more complicated than - wear a mask, open and run like hell.
So, if dispersing is relatively simple, how does one damage the ability to disperse?
Doubling down on losing bets is no way to go through life. Kind of like fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life either.
The same mentally ill thought processes of Obozo Liar, McAinal, Kerry the Faux hero, and congressional rats wanting to bomb Syria could apply to 9/11!
Aircraft can be shot down. A Turkish F-4 already has been.
And then Obama fans will claim this is due to his brilliance; making Syria think he will wait for congressional approval to strike to achieve the element of surprise.
AND THE ENEMIES TARGET OUR TROOPS IN ANY OF THESE M.E. REGIONS. How’s that for consideration?
There is nothing like attacking the U.S.interests and allies to unite the radical islamists everywhere.
I’m not a pacifist nor an isationist. If he were going to finally take out (instead of protecting)the dangerous Iranian nuke missile factories I’d be cheering him along. But we have a super serious problem when one man can tAke us to war when neither USA nor our interests nor allies are endangered. This infidel nation is not here to build the world Islamic caliphate. when we go to war it should be for our defense or that of our allies not enemies of all of the above. We need to bolster congress right now and then figure out how to fix the system to prevent this danger in future.
Yeah, aka Ted Kennedy.....
Yes, I believe that is the plan too.
Absolutely correct. As Obama plans which targets in Syria to hit, Putin paints a few targets himself. When the missiles start flying there will be hell to pay. I don’t think the Russians fear our pansy ass leader.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.