UK Naval Force Joins US in Prep for Strike Against Syria

Trapper John · 08-25-2013, 19:29

Navy ready to launch first strike on Syria

Britain is planning to join forces with America and launch military action against Syria within days in response to the gas attack believed to have been carried out by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces against his own people.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-on-Syria.html

MR2 · 08-25-2013, 21:13

Nothing like letting them know we're coming.

Just like the last time. I bet Jesse Jackson is packing his bags...

Fozzie · 08-26-2013, 03:53

It's like we are daring the Syrians to do something dumb so we can look like the hero. It's all school yard behaviour from our PM. Our Navy has been shrunk to the size of a fishing fleet, over stretched carrying out anti piracy roles and ferrying foreign aid.

Trapper John · 08-26-2013, 05:17

Erase the Red Line
Why We Shouldn't Care About Syria's Chemical Weapons

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articl...e-the-red-line

CSB · 08-26-2013, 10:57

Wait, intervention in Syria is critical!
Just look at this front page article in the Egyptian Gazette.
Front page, above the fold.
Tanks in the streets. Riots.
The CIA is accused of helping the protesters.

WE NEED TO MOVE, AND NOW!

Oh wait, never mind, check out the date of the issue.
I bought this edition when I was in Israel on a project in 1980.
It was old news in 1980, and it will be old news in 2023.

**Box** · 08-26-2013, 18:06

Here's an idea...
Lets go into Syria, tear a bunch of shit up, get the government tossed out and them spend ten years trying to teach democracy to the Syrians.

Detonics · 08-26-2013, 18:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

Here's an idea...
Lets go into Syria, tear a bunch of shit up, get the government tossed out and them spend ten years trying to teach democracy to the Syrians.

You may have an outdated flow chart. Now we just get the government tossed out and hand things over to the local flavor of radical Islam.

Jordan or Turkey next?

Bets, bets? Place your bets!

**The Reaper** · 08-26-2013, 19:44

Can someone show me the incontrovertible evidence that the Syrian government forces did this?

Does anyone else think that the resistance would not do this to their own people to embroil us in their little squabble?

TR

Trapper John · 08-26-2013, 20:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Can someone show me the incontrovertible evidence that the Syrian government forces did this?

Does anyone else think that the resistance would not do this to their own people to embroil us in their little squabble?

TR

"What difference, at this point, does it make now!" Oh, wait that was another thread.

alelks · 08-26-2013, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

Here's an idea...
Lets go into Syria, tear a bunch of shit up, get the government tossed out and them spend ten years trying to teach democracy to the Syrians.

I have an even better idea.

Let's just stay home and teach democracy to the bunch of IDIOTS we have in DC right now.

**Box** · 08-26-2013, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by alelks

I have an even better idea.

Let's just stay home and teach democracy to the bunch of IDIOTS we have in DC right now.

...it would be easier to teach the Syrians. Plus, we wouldn't go to prison for shooting the ones that wont listen
...hell, look at how quick the DVD bootleggers caught on to the concept of capitalism in Afghanistan! Just because they are third world dont exactly mean they aren't smarter than some of our elected officials.

Trapper,

Quote:

"What difference, at this point, does it make now!" Oh, wait that was another thread.

You should be awarded HUGE cross thread points for that one.

Stobey · 08-27-2013, 00:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Can someone show me the incontrovertible evidence that the Syrian government forces did this?

Does anyone else think that the resistance would not do this to their own people to embroil us in their little squabble?

TR

Exactly! Agree 100%. It would be a completely stupid move on Assad's part to do something like that, probably knowing that the POTUS is just waiting for the excuse. On the other hand, since the "rebels" are probably getting their butts kicked, it would certainly be in their best interest to pull that sort of stunt so that they can rely upon the U.S. govt. to offer to step in and help install another MB government in the ME.
Just my thoughts. I'm sure that I'm not alone in that.

Richard · 08-27-2013, 08:19

The way I see it:

1 - Syria has a chemical weapons program (nerve agents).
2 - Syria is in the midst of an internal civil war with external agents involvement.
3 - Nobody is sure who may or may not be in control of those weapons now.
4 - Chemical weapons were used against its civilian population.
5 - Nobody is claiming responsibility for their use.
6 - UN CBR investigative teams are now on the ground seeking answers to the who, what, when, where, how, and/or why of their use.
7 - The international community, and the West in particular, has a long-standing position against the proliferation and use of such weapons.
8 - Our national interests lie solely in those interests as a senior member of the international community.
9 - In the past, we and others in the community, have "looked the other way" from countries exhibiting such behavior when in our "interests" as well as "spanked" countries for similar behaviors when in our "interests" to exhibit a higher moral authority to do so.
10 - There is precedent for using a combined sea-air campaign with adjunct UN forces to bring about a change to a country's "interests" when such an event occurs, however, the results are mixed.
11 - It's a complicated matter, with equally compelling arguments for both inaction and action upon the part of the international community, and fueled by several decades of inconclusive direct involvement on our part in and against that particular geographical area of the world.
13 - I'm glad I don't have to make the decision and hope we can live with what our NCA and Congress decide, however, after many of our decisions in that region over the past century and the on-going fallout from those actions, I think whatever we do will have the effect of being yet another well-intentioned but pyrrhic act providing yet more tinder to inflame the already vehemently partisan and overheated rhetoric of the international political arena and its sidekick, the blogosphere.

MOO.

Richard

akv · 08-27-2013, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard

The way I see it:

1 - Syria has a chemical weapons program (nerve agents).
2 - Syria is in the midst of an internal civil war with external agents involvement.
3 - Nobody is sure who may or may not be in control of those weapons now.
4 - Chemical weapons were used against its civilian population.
5 - Nobody is claiming responsibility for their use.
6 - UN CBR investigative teams are now on the ground seeking answers to the who, what, when, where, how, and/or why of their use.
7 - The international community, and the West in particular, has a long-standing position against the proliferation and use of such weapons.
8 - Our national interests lie solely in those interests as a senior member of the international community.
9 - In the past, we and others in the community, have "looked the other way" from countries exhibiting such behavior when in our "interests" as well as "spanked" countries for similar behaviors when in our "interests" to exhibit a higher moral authority to do so.
10 - There is precedent for using a combined sea-air campaign with adjunct UN forces to bring about a change to a country's "interests" when such an event occurs, however, the results are mixed.
11 - It's a complicated matter, with equally compelling arguments for both inaction and action upon the part of the international community, and fueled by several decades of inconclusive direct involvement on our part in and against that particular geographical area of the world.
13 - I'm glad I don't have to make the decision and hope we can live with what our NCA and Congress decide, however, after many of our decisions in that region over the past century and the on-going fallout from those actions, I think whatever we do will have the effect of being yet another well-intentioned but pyrrhic act providing yet more tinder to inflame the already vehemently partisan and overheated rhetoric of the international political arena and its sidekick, the blogosphere.

Richard,

Good points all, Syria is one heck of A tar baby. Respectfully, my $.02 I can't see how this will not evolve into US boots on the ground. Retired General Nyland was just on CNN asking, at the point and time we know there are chemical weapons being used there, and there are AQ elements among the rebels, don't we need to make sure they don't get their hands on this stuff. How can this be done solely through air strikes? The rebels winning could be even more dangerous for US interests. I know US forces will perform their duty well as always, but how does this mission not get muddled from degrading Syrian WMD capability to nation building with restrictive ROE against a ruthless opponent?

**Pete** · 08-27-2013, 09:09

Evidence: Syria gas attack work of U.S. allies

http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/video-sho...tack-in-syria/

"NEW YORK – As the U.S. considers a response to what it calls a chemical weapon attack by Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime that killed hundreds of civilians, reliable Middle Eastern sources say they have evidence the culprits actually were the rebel forces trying to take over the government................."

Hmm, so what's the truth?