A Mediterranean Battlefield - Syria

[Magda Hassan]

US readies possible missile strike against Syria - report

Published time: August 24, 2013 00:08 Get short URL



Despite President Obama cautioning against intervention in Syria, the Pentagon is making "initial preparations" for a cruise missile attack on Syrian government forces, according to a new report.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is expected to present options for such a strike at a White House meeting on Saturday, CBS News reported on Friday.

President Barack Obama is under renewed pressure to take action following the emergence of footage of what appears to be the aftermath of a toxic agent attack in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday. The forces of President Bashar Assad were assaulting a rebel stronghold in the district at the time, but deny responsibility. Moscow, which has maintained close ties with the regime, called the incident a rebel "provocation" possibly designed to derail upcoming Geneva peace talks.
Questioned on the continuing upheaval in Syria and Egypt during a CNN interview Friday, President Obama said the United States should be wary "being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region."
Obama went on to express reservations for involvement in the 30-month Syrian conflict based on lack of international consensus.
"If the US goes in and attacks another country without a UN mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, [and] do we have the coalition to make it work?" said Obama.
http://rt.com/news/us-missile-attack-syria-929/