LOL! First, this is a stupid threat because Assad will allow US to destroy his enemies which includes the Rebels who just signed a deal with ISIS. He will not fire on our planes.
Second, Assad wins without firing any shots.
I imagine Assad will have some trouble trying to figure out Barry’s policy. After all, it doesn’t make sense to any one.
As far as I can tell, we will act as an aerial blue hat force....allied with the newly cannonized ‘good rebels’....and simultaneously opposed to Assad as rebel allies, and also sharing I terests with Assad against the ‘bad rebels’. All the while stubbornly sticking to the belief that there will be no overlap between good and bad rebels....which is a fantasy.
Will Assad respond to all rebels in the same manner? Or will he play along and allow free passage of US jets? I imagine he will - until US jets start hitting his RADAR etc. Barry can’t just say he did it on behalf of the good rebels, but we’ll turn around and help Syria make up for the lost RADAR if ISIS attacks. At some point Assad may have to react directly to our forces. Don’t think he has much of a chance of taking out a jet though. Probably just bribe a goid rebel to show him whose lasing the targets and kidnap a few US soldiers. Heck he may even turn around and sell them to the ‘bad’ rebels.