Hagel: US rethinking resistance to arming Syrian opposition

foxnews.com ^ | 5/2/13 | foxnews.com

[ColdOne]

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday that the Obama administration is re-thinking its opposition to arming the Syrian rebels, as officials weigh a range of options in the wake of findings that chemical weapons were likely used in the country's civil war.

"Arming the rebels -- that's an option," Hagel said at a Pentagon news conference.

Asked directly if the administration was reconsidering its opposition to that option, Hagel said "yes."

The comment cracks the door open, if only a little, to the U.S. getting more involved in the bloody Syria war.

[Starboard]

Benghazi was all about arming the Syrian rebels and now, just one week before congressional hearings on this sad debacle, the administration is changing its tone. They are already in full damage control mode.

[BenLurkin]

Looks like Hussein’s “Red Line was yet another bungle.

The guy is STILL in way over his head.

[Ab Alius Domitor]

Hey “Chucky” let’s arm both sides so they kill each other off and we don’t have to deal with them in the future.

[laweeks]

He’ll do whatever the unelected and unapproved handlers of Obambi tell him to do . . . like Valerie Jarrett and company.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Bingo!

[CMB_polarization]

That puts us in opposition to Russia, China, Iran and Hezbollah, and on the side of Al Queda, Muslim Brotherhood and Israel. Israel wants to control Syria after Assad is gone. It makes sense to replace the dictator with a rabble that Israel would clean out. But, once the Arab street gets wind of Israel's intentions, there will be more bombings and riots in the streets over the "Zionist plot". The muslims might then unify behind Assad's tribe, to counter Israel's gambit. More terrorism against the US and Israel for getting involved in Arab affairs. Back to square one.

Oh, never mind.

[Uncle Miltie]

Stingers for Jihadis.

What could possibly go wrong?

[blackdog]

They need policy changes before next wednesday's hearings in order to explain the gun running operation out of Benghazi which included anti-aircraft and rpg's weapons.

Getting out in front of what Carney proclaimed to be long ago is quite charming.....................

[Dalberg-Acton]

Trans World Airlines Flight 800

[Greysard]

Israel wants to control Syria after Assad is gone. It makes sense to replace the dictator with a rabble that Israel would clean out.

IMO, it does not make such sense. A dictator is a singular person, or a singular family. A dictator can be threatened, bombed, killed. Every dictator knows that. Dictators are not idiots, usually - they know the danger when they see one. You can always give a dictator an offer that he cannot refuse.

This is not the case with collective forms of government. Even if we presume that a country is ruled by some sort of a junta, every member of that junta secretly hopes that all other members will be killed - then he can elevate himself and his men, thus making a new junta. Collective forms of government are immune to threats and weapons; they cannot be killed. They can only decay on their own. While they are alive, they are extremely dangerous. AQ is an example of such distributed organization (it's not a government, though.) Can you kill a leader of AQ? No, you cannot - because as soon as one is killed, his trusted lieutenant immediately declares himself to be the new leader.

This means that if the USA supports "rebels" then we will be fighting against Israel. There will be AQ training camps in Syria, there will be endless stream of drugs and weapons in and out of Syria, undermining all neighbors. It will be another Chechnya, only on Israel's border. If that happens, yes, Israel will have to go in and destroy *everyone* in the country. It will not be easy. Urban firefight is deadly to everyone involved; there is no protection against a sniper bullet - and as the engagement distance is under 500 yards nearly everyone can be a sniper.

IMO, the best option for Israel is to give weapons and aid to Assad and let him clean the country. Israel was always able to negotiate peace with Bashar Assad and his father Hafez. Per Wikipedia, "In the mid-1990s, Assad moderated his country's policy towards Israel as the loss of Soviet support altered the balance of power in the Middle East." As I said, it's usually better to deal with one well educated dictator who is concerned about his own position, than with an army of uneducated fanatics on drugs - who want you dead and care about nothing.

[CMB_polarization]

"IMO, the best option for Israel is to give weapons and aid to Assad and let him clean the country."

I agree with this 100%. Israel should be supporting Assad, and woo him away from alignment with Iran.

[Starboard]

Whenever there’s bad news on the horizon, the administration’s playbook says to feed a diversionary story to the MSM and get them to run with the theme for a couple of days. Its all very predictable.

Next week watch for an announcement of furloughs or layoffs in the Department of Defense. The timing is perfect for this. You heard it here first.

[ballplayer]

Glad to see someone else knows the truth,especially since I don’t see one network news show anywhere which has connected the dots on this one. The huge cover-up is right there in front of all these morons and all they talk about is security this and that,but not why was the ambassador doing there and the rest of the people.Gun running and jihadists running to Syria! That’s WHY no one wants to talk about Benghazi.
First it was dump the dictator in Libya,then Egypt,now Syria,get the Muslim brotherhood in charge,that is Hillary’s,Obama’s and Humas wet dream