Any Syria strikes will be symbolic, limited: experts

Yahoo! News ^ | 8/29/13 | Michel Moutot - AFP

[NormsRevenge]

Expected Western strikes on Syria will target the military, intelligence services and possibly sites with symbolic regime links, but will not alter the balance of power in the country, experts say.

The raids, if they go ahead, would be aimed at punishing President Bashar al-Assad's regime and sending him a message rather than wiping out his military capacity and handing the rebels a decisive advantage, they say.

"Specific targets should include the Damascus-area headquarters, barracks and support facilities of the fourth and Republican Guard armoured divisions, two units heavily involved in the bombardment of civilian areas," said Jeffrey White of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think tank.

"Allied forces should also strike higher-level military and intelligence headquarters and command-and-control facilities associated with military operations around the capital."

The Republican Guard, reputed to be one of the best armed and best trained units in the country, is commanded by the Syrian president's brother, Maher al-Assad. Highly feared, it has special responsibility for defending the capital.

Washington and its allies are pressing for military action against Assad's regime over deadly suspected chemical attacks, despite stern warnings against intervention from key Damascus supporters Russia and Iran.

...

French General Vincent Desportes, .., told AFP any strikes would be "more symbolic than military".

"It is a question of reestablishing the West's credibility by doing something. The declared 'red line' cannot be crossed to this degree without something being done, otherwise all US credibility would be lost, particularly where Iran is concerned."

"But it should not be too much, because if President Assad dies or if the regime collapses, that would lead to a terrible bloodbath, chaos on a national scale. It would be another strategic failure, the like of what was seen in Libya," he added.

[NormsRevenge]

doing nothing would be bad for O's credibility?

what credibility>

his regime is a layered structure of deceit lies distortions and failed policies..

again, what credibility?

Benghazi is biting back and then some..

[MeganC]

So Obama wants to kill Syrians for purely symbolic reasons?

Sick.

[tumblindice]

Just another petulant Democrat president with a god-complex.
And Zero was so proud of his Nobel prize, he had it bronzed.

[FatherofFive]

So Obama wants to kill Syrians for purely symbolic reasons? Sick.

"What difference does it make?" /s

These times make Carter look like a master politician and strategist.

[Diogenesis]

Symbolic?

The ONLY symbol will be that after the BOMBING
of the Pentagon and WTC on 911,
the Pentagon will willingly SERVE al Qaeda
as its Air Force and Special Forces.

[tumblindice]

The silence from the morally superior Left is ... absolutely deafening, isn’t it?
Ordinarily in high dudgeon when a president puts on his CICh hat, here .... crickets.

[CMB_polarization]

Symbols over substance?

[cripplecreek]

I got an email from Democrats.org this morning. Not one single mention of Obama, the democrats, Lybia, or Egypt.

Dear **********

The neocon war criminals who took the U.S. into an illegal and disastrous war in Iraq are back - and demanding a Syria War.

The Shock and Awe bombing of Baghdad in 2003 that launched the disastrous Iraq WarWe say No!

Attacking Syria won't reduce the violence - it will only escalate it with devastating consequences for Syrians and Americans, as we learned so painfully in Iraq.

The U.S. invasion of Iraq killed 100,000 to 600,000 Iraqi civilians. For Americans, the invasion killed 4,486 U.S. troops and wounded 32,223. Of the 2.3 million U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, roughly 20% suffer from PTSD or Traumatic Brain Injury, and hundreds commit suicide each year. For returning troops and their loved ones, the war is never over.

Tell Congress: No Syria War!

Economically, the U.S. absolutely cannot afford war with Syria. The Iraq War cost the U.S. economy $3 trillion and helped cause the Great Recession of 2008, which has not ended.

Since Republicans refuse to raise taxes, the inevitable costs of a Syrian War will come from food stamps, education, health care, environmental protection, and Social Security. The American people adamantly oppose cuts in these essential programs.

Tell Congress: No Syria War!

Tell your Senators and Representative to vote against a Syria War, and block any funds for any military actions that could start such a war.

Thanks for all you do!

Bob Fertik

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We need to know what Valerie thinks.

Is he running again.?

[sgtyork]

Maybe we should ask them how they would like to be targeted.

[AU72]

We are going waste 500 million dollars of ordinance on a gesture.

[Little Pig]

And of course the Syrians and their allies are just going to sit there and take it; no retaliation, right?

[austinaero]

Symbolic of what? That Obama is embarrassed and his ego is bruised after being spanked in front of the whole world?

And when civilians are killed during the “punishment”????? What then brainiacs?

[airborne]

Maybe we should just deliver some high-tech weapons systems to Al-Queda and let them use them I any way they see fit.

After all, if we're going to start fighting on the same side as our enemy, let's get this suicide plan started in high gear!

[BenLurkin]

Is that how Democrats talk these days?

It sounds like an SDS leaflet from the 70s!

[NormsRevenge]

maybe we could slip them a small nuke and detonate it prematurely while in their immediate possession. hey, stuff happens.

[iopscusa]

It ain’t the DRats or the RRats it’s all some history:
“On the Value of an Average Citizen to a Militaristic Empire”
http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/08/on-value-of-average-citizen-to.html

[RedMDer]

Only Three Days Until
September.

Less than $4.8k to Go!!
Keep FR Alive with $25!!

[WayneS]

Any Syria strikes will be symbolic, limited: experts

...speaking of war crimes.

[Colonel_Flagg]

symbolic, limited:

Convenient. Those words also describe Obama.