Posted on 10/02/2015 7:59:14 AM PDT by Mariner
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Russia's launch of airstrikes in Syria is prompting discussions within the Pentagon about whether the U.S. should use military force to protect U.S.-trained and equipped Syrian rebels if they come under fire by the Russians."
U.S. officials said Thursday that senior military leaders and defense officials are working through the thorny legal and foreign policy issues and are weighing the risks of using force in response to a Russian attack.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter declined to discuss the problem when asked about it this week. But U.S. officials acknowledged that this is one of the questions being asked as they debate the broader dilemma of how the administration should respond to what White House press secretary Josh Earnest described as Russia's "indiscriminate military operations against the Syrian opposition."
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing deliberations publicly.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Remember the olden days when the US Left would be up in arms over covert US support for anti-communist dictators? Secret wars?
Now, strangely silent when we have an administration whose objective is to diminish US standing, betray US allies and further the objectives of our existential enemies.
‘At U.N. headquarters in New York, Secretary of State John Kerry said: “What is important is Russia has to not be engaged in any activities against anybody but ISIL. That’s clear. We have made that very clear.”’
They just did, in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan. You can’t do a damn thing about it either, in a fashion reminiscent of Little Miss Muffet. Yours and McCain’s little pet terrorists are going to die. Can you say, ‘DIE’? Just to make things very clear, in a fashion reminiscent of Mr. Rogers.
As a reminder, these are the guys who last week defected to ISIS:
Pentagon Admits: U.S. Gear in Qaedas Hands (9/25)
“The generals swore that all of their weapons to fight ISIS were in the hands of their Syrian allies. Then, abruptly, the brass changed its tune.
The U.S. militarys Central Command admitted Friday that a Syrian fighter trained by U.S. forces handed over six vehicles and ammunition to an al Qaeda intermediary, purportedly in exchange for safe passage within [his] operating area.
It marks one of the first times the U.S. has admitted that its equipment had fallen into the jihadist groups hands.
The generals swore that all of their weapons to fight ISIS were in the hands of their Syrian allies. Then, abruptly, the brass changed its tune.
As recently as Wednesday, officials had said they were aware of where100 percent of the weapons were. As it turned out, a commander trained to fighters had already handed over the equipment to Jahbat al Nusra, an al Qaeda affiliate operating in parts of western Syria.
The missing equipment accounted for 25 percent of what was provided to a class of 71 U.S. trained fighters, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The announcement was the latest embarrassment for the already embattled train and equip program, which once aimed to train 5,400 fighters a year to confront the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Instead, last week CENTCOM commander Army Gen. Lloyd Austin admitted that only trained four or five fighters were in Syria, out of an initial class of 54 trainees.”
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/25/pentagon-admits-u-s-gear-in-qaeda-s-hands.html
The “rebels” bombed the US Pentagon
which now pleads to protect them.
Who will protect the American People?
Not the Pentagon. Not the White Mosque.
Not the submissive, complicit, lying GOP.
“Officials: Pentagon weighs protections for US-trained rebels”
Both of them?
“U.S. trained rebels” means we’ll be fighting them next, as usual. Might as well let the Russians take them out now.
Lots of chatter 3 weeks ago, not much lately.
http://www.examiner.com/article/chinese-russian-warships-and-marines-heading-to-syrian-waters
I think all they have done is sent air and naval assets, and I think they will just sit there, assuring that the EU-US think very carefully before doing anything, and also to remind Russia that they, too, are being watched. I can see China doing nothing beyond sailing in and then sailing out again once the terrorist organizations have been dealt with, simply acting as a suspended threat.
Here is an article presenting China’s guarded perspective:
http://www.chinausfocus.com/peace-security/chinas-role-in-syria/
I know they sent a couple of ships for a joint exercise, but no assets in Syria.
They also steamed several ships toward Syria when 0bama had his first run in with Putin. That was the one where Kerry ran his mouth and Putin called his bluff.
I am not sure they intend to stay out of the fight.
It appears the Chinese may just have better OpSec than the US.
**The Sarin came from Libya via Obama rat lines.**
I believe Benghazi has to do with chemical weapons as well.
**In this case they are using the amorphous term “Pentagon” to describe the political appointees of Obama there.**
We are neck deep in the Twilight Zone. We’ve got people in the Pentagon more interested in wanting to dress up like Barbie. All the good ones have been weeded out long ago.
Can you imagine how many people Patton would be slapping now? He’ll he’d probably be shooting them with his sidearm by now.
**...He said: “It turns out that only 60 of these fighters have been properly trained, and as few as four or five people actually carry weapons. “The rest of them have deserted with the American weapons to join ISIS.”**
And guess where he got that info? Right out of the mouth of our Head of Central Command, Gen. Austin, at the Senate Arms Services Committee on 9/16/15.
I’m ready to throw a brick at my radio. Rush won’t get off the fact that the Vatican is backing off the big deal made about the Pope meeting with Kim Davis? So what? She’s not even Catholic. Our little sociopath and his dress up queens at the Pentagon are about to get us in a War with Russia over 5 rebel forces!
Source: DEBKA File hence the “maybe”.
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