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Panetta: Syria no-fly zone "not on the front burner"
cbsnews.com ^ | August 14, 2012

Posted on 08/14/2012 2:35:10 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says plans to set up a no-fly zone over parts of Syria are "not on the front burner," despite persistent calls from rebel forces there that they need the added protection from escalating regime air strikes.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, Panetta said he is confident the U.S. could successfully enforce a no-fly zone over Syria, but doing so would require a "major, major policy decision" that has not yet been made.

"We have planned for a number of contingencies that could take place and one of those possible contingencies is developing a no-fly zone. But we've also pointed out difficulties in being able to implement that," Panetta said. "It's not on the front burner as far as I know."

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said recently that Washington and Turkey are discussing a range of steps, including a no-fly zone over some parts of Syria. Rebel leaders have expressed frustration that the United States has limited its assistance to non-lethal aid.

The U.S. and its NATO allies successfully enforced a no-fly zone over Libya last year, as rebels there made gains and eventually ousted dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Syria, however, has relatively modern air defenses that are far more plentiful and sophisticated than those in Libya. Syria buys its arms from Russia and is backed in its efforts to tamp down the rebels by Iran.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Germany; Israel; Russia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: germany; israel; leonpanetta; nato; noflyzone; russia; syria; turkey; unitedkingdom; waronterror

1 posted on 08/14/2012 2:35:14 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
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To: Tailgunner Joe

Let me guess what IS on the front burner.

Short list:

Job One:

Destroy Paul Ryan...

BHO


2 posted on 08/14/2012 2:43:54 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Nope 2012)
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To: Tailgunner Joe; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks Tailgunner Joe.
"It's not on the front burner as far as I know."
AFA he knows, that's reassuring, eh? Panetta looks like he's aged about ten years. Heh... Almost makes me feel sorry for Mister Guardians of Gridlock.


3 posted on 08/14/2012 3:20:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Well, if it’s on a back burner and they don’t pay
attention, it will boil over before they know it.


4 posted on 08/14/2012 3:25:11 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Tailgunner Joe

AS FAR AS HE KNOWS???

Lord, save us from these clowns.


5 posted on 08/14/2012 3:28:52 PM PDT by bonfire
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To: SunkenCiv
Almost makes me feel sorry for Mister Guardians of Gridlock.

I tend to view Mister Panetta as a lockstep uber lib Dem, and although he pretends to complain at the gutting of our Military and National Defense, one suspects that he's an enthusiastic Obama/Ayers fellow traveler.

(Don't know for sure, it's just my suspicion.)

6 posted on 08/14/2012 3:35:17 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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To: Seaplaner

He has fought for his budgets and turf, which is to be expected from him. He’s a party-line man, and his party is the Party of the Single Party State. But he looks like he’s ready to resign. He’ll wait until after the election, win lose or draw.


7 posted on 08/14/2012 4:39:33 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: tet68

Turkey can’t do it alone, particularly with the Russians effin’ around. Turkey’s isolated itself thanks to its embrace of Erdogan’s remarkable (even for an Islamofascist) stupidity. NATO might go for it, in which case Turkey might (or might not) let its allies use Turkish bases.

Erdogan got himself into this mess. It is probably beyond his gifts to get himself out. But his choices are excellent for the Kurds. Only Armenia will probably wind up worse off after the Syrian mess subsides.


8 posted on 08/14/2012 4:46:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

9 posted on 08/14/2012 6:02:55 PM PDT by SJackson (I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people people die of natural causes)
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To: SunkenCiv
He has fought for his budgets and turf, which is to be expected from him.

I can see why you write this, and I understand your observation.

However, I believe that I have seen professional "wrasslers" put up a better fake fight.

.

10 posted on 08/14/2012 9:12:55 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never...except to convictions of honour and good sense. W. Churchill)
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