John wrote:
This is news to me. As I understand it, the signal that the U.S. has
sent is that it's going to provide pop guns to fight against tanks.
It would have been better to send no signal at all.
The Pentagon is doing background interviews on what was presented to Obama and what is on the table, off the table, and still under discussions.
Off the table: Syria wide no-fly zone.
Off the table: U.S. Military boots on the ground in Syria.
On the table: CIA run training camps, Major CIA logistic supply bases in Jordan and Turkey ( multiple in each country ). Supply bases have been being built up for months in anticipation they might be needed.
On the table: U.S. military protection assets, including air power and ground troops, on the ground in Jordan to protect Jordan in general and to specifically protect training bases and supply bases from retaliation from Syria or other parties. Briefings were silent on a protection force within Turkey, but Turkey is a NATO member with U.S. airbases already there, U.S. air assets in Turkey could be beefed up with out any public announcement and Turkey has it's own very credible ground forces.
On the table: An area along the border between Jordan and Syria, but within Syria, where Syrian military assets such as air craft, anti-aircraft missiles, and long range artillery would be considered aggression against Jordan and would be destroyed by the U.S. and it's allies. It must be assumed that the Syrian military would also be prevented from massing ground forces along the border that would prevent rebels from freely moving between sanctuaries in Jordan and battlefields in Syria, or the rest would have no point.
Still under discussion: If a limited no fly zone within Syria some distance inside Syria from the border with Jordan will be formerly declared, or just enforced without formal announcement except reserving the right of "joint self defense by the United States and Jordan".
Still under discussion: if U.S. aircraft will actually patrol within the declared ( or undeclared ) no-fly zone within Syria, or just attacked using stand off weapons from air craft flying within Jordan and U.S. air craft would only enter Syria as an "act of Joint Self Defense" when Syria makes moves within Syria that "threaten Jordan's sovereignty" that can not be dealt with using stand off weapons.
These are much different talking points than the spin from administration insiders about how the President did not really want to do this, and Obama is really against war, and Obama was forced to do it, and had no choice than to give "small arms" to the rebels because "a horrible red line was crossed". These same administration officials refuse to identify what specific "small arms" will be delivered. This spin is designed to provide talking points to the Democratic Party's left wing, anti-war politicians. Small arms can include anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons which, when used by troops trained to use them, and also willing to stand and fight, can be devastating to the kind of combined arms attacks being launched by the Syrian military.