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Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 01:58 AM Sep 2014

Officials: U.S. Will Defend Itself Against Syria Attack

Source: USA TODAY

David Jackson, USA TODAY 8:41 p.m. EDT September 15, 2014

If necessary, U.S. pilots conducting airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Syria would defend themselves if fired upon by Syrian government forces, senior administration officials suggested Monday.

The officials said the U.S. knows where Bashar Assad's government has positioned forces and air defense installations, and those could be at risk if they attack U.S. planes.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military strategy.

The warning came as President Obama prepares for a couple of key meetings related to his counter-terrorism plan against the Islamic State.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/09/15/obama-islamic-state-syria-iraq/15689341/

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Officials: U.S. Will Defend Itself Against Syria Attack (Original Post) Purveyor Sep 2014 OP
Okay, if we bomb ISIS there, we're making war IN Syria. Comrade Grumpy Sep 2014 #1
I think that's pretty much the plan, to attack Syria. Alkene Sep 2014 #4
The air will be thick with Mi-28A/N Havocs. The death toll from ballyhoo Sep 2014 #8
As the pope says, we are in WW3 now. The Syrian adventure will ballyhoo Sep 2014 #13
Absolutely. And Syria should not be required to ballyhoo Sep 2014 #6
Putin is taking notes and preparing, including rebuttals to any Nato criticisms nt msongs Sep 2014 #2
Syria bombed ISIS in Iraq in June. Did Mr. Assad clear that with the Iraqi government? pampango Sep 2014 #3
ISIS is NOT a sovereign state. It is a neocon construction--no more. ballyhoo Sep 2014 #7
You're right. ISIS is not a sovereign state. Iraq is, as is Syria. pampango Sep 2014 #9
I see. Needed to back up and form some equivalency... ballyhoo Sep 2014 #10
The US bombing ISIS in Syria would be wrong. Syria bombing ISIS in Iraq was wrong. IF pampango Sep 2014 #11
Did Maliki give that last bit of info directly, or ballyhoo Sep 2014 #14
Well you just justified US bombing in Syria against ISIS Cali_Democrat Sep 2014 #15
I Doubt He Does, Sir: He Is a Little Shaky On A Lot Of Things.... The Magistrate Sep 2014 #16
Negative. I justified bombing ISIS in Syria as not a sovereign ballyhoo Sep 2014 #17
If is an important word in these comments karynnj Sep 2014 #5
Assad is not an idiot HoosierCowboy Sep 2014 #12
 

Comrade Grumpy

(13,184 posts)
1. Okay, if we bomb ISIS there, we're making war IN Syria.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 02:36 AM
Sep 2014

If we bomb Syrian military targets, we're making war ON Syria.

Alkene

(752 posts)
4. I think that's pretty much the plan, to attack Syria.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 07:33 AM
Sep 2014

All of this hyperbolic media lead up is just kabuki theater reruns.
Pretty transparent announcement of intentions in this press release, it would seem.

 

ballyhoo

(2,060 posts)
8. The air will be thick with Mi-28A/N Havocs. The death toll from
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:56 AM
Sep 2014

Syria will make Iraq look tame. And the loss will be even more embarrassing.

 

ballyhoo

(2,060 posts)
13. As the pope says, we are in WW3 now. The Syrian adventure will
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:14 AM
Sep 2014

just make it all real. And in the background--suddenly a peace plan in Ukraine. Last piece on the checkerboard before the board explodes.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
3. Syria bombed ISIS in Iraq in June. Did Mr. Assad clear that with the Iraqi government?
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 05:48 AM
Sep 2014

Did he warn them not to shoot at his planes?

Syrian does not have any air defense systems in eastern Syria since they don't control any territory there.
Israeli planes have attacked government forces twice in government-controlled territory in western Syria. Result: No missiles fired at them.
If Syria did not defend itself when attacked directly, will they defend territory that is controlled by ISIS?

Attacking ISIS in Syria is a poor strategy. Mr. Assad just wants to hold on to power and retain control of western Syria. He has little appetite and less ability to reassert control over largely-Sunni eastern and northern Syria. Attacking what is legally Syrian territory, even though there is no government control there, plays into his hands anyway. He gets to publicly protest the illegality of such an action while privately smiling at the damage done to his enemies.

There are no ground troops that can reclaim territory from a "weakened" ISIS. There are plenty of ISIS targets in Iraq and, at least limited, ground forces to retake territory like that dam.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
9. You're right. ISIS is not a sovereign state. Iraq is, as is Syria.
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:57 AM
Sep 2014

Planes from one country bombing targets in the other country without the latter's permission, even when the targets are "bad guys" that neither government supports, is not consistent with 'sovereignty'. That is the issue with planes from Iraq or the US bombing ISIS targets in Syria. The same issue applies for planes from Syria bombing targets in Iraq.

pampango

(24,692 posts)
11. The US bombing ISIS in Syria would be wrong. Syria bombing ISIS in Iraq was wrong. IF
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:11 AM
Sep 2014

that is "some equivalency" to you so be it.

The Magistrate

(95,237 posts)
16. I Doubt He Does, Sir: He Is a Little Shaky On A Lot Of Things....
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 01:50 PM
Sep 2014

Here are some choice excerpts from the record of Mr. Ballyhoo....

1)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=787698

Baloney. It's because of Victoria Nuland and her band

of nincompoops actions. Putin was just out riding his hog when the tires in Kiev started burning. He had to do something. Maybe if Nuland hadn't been listening to her neoncon husband Kagan, none of this would have happened. Look at this woman: if she ain't possessed, no one is.

http://wideawakegentile.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/fuck-you-victoria-nuland-and-fuck-your-whole-miserable-neocon-zionist-family/

( link to an extreme hate site, obviously Anti-Semitic )

2)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=790363


What is the matter with anyone trying to rid a town of

drugged-out gypsies? Have you ever had contacts with gypsies? They are not a savory type.

( endorsement of ethnic cleansing against Roma )

3)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=797508

Whatever has to be done to stop this

by the Right and the Nazis, sir. Some of us care about stuff like this. Some of us don't understand there just might be a conflict when the reporter of the Crimea voting happens to be on a Human Rights Group of Urkaine.


http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/05/05/kiev-and-right-sector-kristallnacht-odessa-extreme-graphics/

( links to yet another hate site )

4 )

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=798523

Or...he's one of, if not the greatest,

leader of our times. He protects his people wherever they are; he throws financial crooks in jail; he maintains a morality that suits the greatest percentage of his people;, and he likes cats.

( some of that real 'Putin love', including an endorsement of anti-gay legislation in Russia )

5 )

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014850023#post26

Accuses, as near as can be understood, the pilots or passengers of deliberately flying into anti-aircraft fire:

'Frame of reference....If the "victims"

knowingly and wantonly entered prohibited air space (a war zone), they are at least partly responsible for their fate. I'll leave the cute icons to you.'

From the above, and some comments elsewhere, he seems to be adding hopes for the deaths of U.S. service members to his repertoire....

 

ballyhoo

(2,060 posts)
17. Negative. I justified bombing ISIS in Syria as not a sovereign
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 03:00 PM
Sep 2014

state but a neocon a construction. However, this creation of ISIS does not give the neocons the right to bomb Syria just because they happen to be in the sovereign state ISIS is located. This is the chief complaint right now. If this complaint is not listened to, WW3 starts in earnest. In my mind, it is already too late to stop it.

karynnj

(59,474 posts)
5. If is an important word in these comments
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 10:31 AM
Sep 2014

It seems pretty clear that the US media is trying to push the military piece of Obama's far larger strategy of dealing with this.

Part of the problem that the Obama team has is that it would actually be counter productive to say exactly how they would like every piece of this to work. There have been several articles that have said that Saudi Arabia and other Sunni countries will walk away from the effort is Iran and/or Syria is explicitly added. This would destroy the overall effort to actually try to address the roots of ISIS and other terrorists groups claiming they speak for Islam. However, in fairly complex comments, Kerry and others have left open a door that they are talking with Iran -- and saying they are "deconflicting" operations with both Syria and Iran.

Here, it seems the military officials were likely asked something like would US planes have the authority to attack the Syrian government forces if they fired on them. I don't think anyone would say no to that -- and if they did it would be a major story that would damage Obama.

HoosierCowboy

(561 posts)
12. Assad is not an idiot
Tue Sep 16, 2014, 11:13 AM
Sep 2014

....he'll welcome any bomb dropped on the bunch plotting genocide of his people. As far as the FSA goes, that's his problem.

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