Syrian opposition told to expect strikes 'within days'
74 replies, posted
[url]http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/27/uk-syria-crisis-strike-timing-idUKBRE97Q0H420130827[/url]
[quote]Western powers have told the Syrian opposition to expect a strike against President Bashar al-Assad's forces within days, according to sources who attended a meeting between envoys and the Syrian National Coalition in Istanbul.
"The opposition was told in clear terms that action to deter further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime could come as early as in the next few days, and that they should still prepare for peace talks at Geneva," one of the sources who was at the meeting on Monday told Reuters.
The meeting at a hotel in downtown Istanbul was between senior figures of the Syrian National Coalition, including its president, Ahmad Jarba, and envoys from 11 core "Friends of Syria" alliance members, including Robert Ford, the former U.S. ambassador to Syria who is now Washington's pointman with the opposition, the sources said.
...
"The Americans are tying any military action to the chemical weapons issue. But the message is clear; they expect the strike to be strong enough to force Assad to go to Geneva and accept a transitional government with full authority," a Syrian opposition figure said.
"The message to the opposition was to get a team ready for Geneva, and be prepared for the possibility of a transition. But we must also be ready for the possibility of the collapse of the regime. If the strike ends up to be crippling, and if they hit the symbols of the regime's military power in Damascus it could collapse," the source said.
The sources said the meeting was planned before the suspected nerve gas attack on the Damascus suburbs, and was originally meant to discuss preparations for the proposed U.S.- and Russian-sponsored Geneva peace conference, which has been repeatedly put off.[/quote]
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23849386][b]BBC: Western military options[/b][/url]
I wonder if somebody is polishing their B-2 right now.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;41984962]I wonder if somebody is polishing their B-2 right now.[/QUOTE]
Or B1...
[thumb] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/B-1B_over_the_pacific_ocean.jpg [/thumb]
Either way I don't think the US should get involved in this shit...
Honestly the most I'd expect in terms of getting involved is something like Libya.
I expect the peace negotiations to go something like this;
"Give up everything you've ever fought for, or we will bomb the shit out of you."
Do the Syrians have anything to strike back with? I recall they got those modern anti-air missiles from Russia a while back or something?
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;41985303]I expect the peace negotiations to go something like this;
"Give up everything you've ever fought for, or we will bomb the shit out of you."[/QUOTE]
Says everyone that has no idea whats going on.
[QUOTE=Widgeon;41985131]Or B1...
[thumb] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/B-1B_over_the_pacific_ocean.jpg [/thumb]
Either way I don't think the US should get involved in this shit...[/QUOTE]
Honestly they don't have the tech to be a threat to require B-2s are B-1s to get past their defences.
[QUOTE=Roll_Program;41985345]Honestly they don't have the tech to be a threat to require B-2s are B-1s to get past their defences.[/QUOTE]
They used B-2s in Libya despite wrecking Gaddafi's already shit anti-air with cruise missiles
[url]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1302304[/url]
Obama, nobody wants you to do this. Fucking stop it. Those people are not our problem until the UN makes it our problem. Maybe it would be okay if we hadn't pissed away trillions on unnecessary occupations in the Middle East, but today it's time to fucking stop dropping bombs on every Muslim country we can find excuses to drop bombs on.
The American people do not want another war, and if you get us stuck in that clusterfuck of a country, it will be a political death sentence for your entire party.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;41985484][URL]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1302304[/URL]
Obama, nobody wants you to do this. Fucking stop it. Those people are not our problem until the UN makes it our problem. Maybe it would be okay if we hadn't pissed away trillions on unnecessary occupations in the Middle East, but today it's time to fucking stop dropping bombs on every Muslim country we can find excuses to drop bombs on.
The American people do not want another war, and if you get us stuck in that clusterfuck of a country, it will be a political death sentence for your entire party.[/QUOTE]
I hate to just link to a Wikipedia article instead of forming an argument but this article sums it up better than I ever could.
[URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_to_protect[/URL]
It is [B]everyone's[/B] problem.
It's on BBC right now (UK). Shit's gonna go down.
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;41985656]It's on BBC right now (UK). Shit's gonna go down.[/QUOTE]
[i]Serious consequences by iran and russia.[/i] - What would this imply?
I was hoping it was labor strikes. :(
I mean I'll be the first one to say we have no reason to go there. I don't think American lives are worth putting at risk over something that has such little impact on our country. Then again, I definitely don't like the idea of chemical weapons being used on people from either side of the conflict. But, low cruise missile strikes and the like seem acceptable if no other country is willing to step up to the plate. I'd happily have us keep the world police~~~ title if it meant we could get these weapons out of the hands of everyone over there.
Kinda torn when it comes down to it. Glad I'm not in charge of it all :v:
[QUOTE=Roll_Program;41985345]Honestly they don't have the tech to be a threat to require B-2s are B-1s to get past their defences.[/QUOTE]
Well, thing is. A B-1 probably won't get shot down. A B-2 certainly won't get shot down. A damn near certain 0 casualties is better than a highly unlikely 4 casualties.
[QUOTE=Daemon;41985692][i]Serious consequences by iran and russia.[/i] - What would this imply?[/QUOTE]
He genuinely looked pissed off. (Cameron)
[QUOTE=evilweazel;41985747]I don't think [B]American lives [/B]are worth putting at risk over something that has such little impact on our country.[/QUOTE]
This fuckin' stance... How are the lives of American service men and women who voulenteer to get into potential danger worth more than Syrian children who just get their asses gassed?
[QUOTE=Jsm;41985564]I hate to just link to a Wikipedia article instead of forming an argument but this article sums it up better than I either could.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_to_protect[/url]
It is [B]everyone's[/b] problem.[/QUOTE]
Not to mention, any regime which uses biochem weapons on its' own population has to be made an example of so that other shitty regimes don't get the idea that it's tolerable.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;41985484][url]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1302304[/url]
Obama, nobody wants you to do this. Fucking stop it. Those people are not our problem until the UN makes it our problem. Maybe it would be okay if we hadn't pissed away trillions on unnecessary occupations in the Middle East, but today it's time to fucking stop dropping bombs on every Muslim country we can find excuses to drop bombs on.
The American people do not want another war, and if you get us stuck in that clusterfuck of a country, it will be a political death sentence for your entire party.[/QUOTE]
I think aside from 'oil' and 'imperialism,' I think intervention for the fact that they're [b]using chemical warfare[/b] is grounds for air strikes.
[QUOTE=Riller;41985791]This fuckin' stance... How are the lives of American service men and women who voulenteer to get into potential danger worth more than Syrian children who just get their asses gassed?[/QUOTE]
Volunteered to serve their country, not intervene in a civil war that isn't our problem, nor should be. Throwing their lives away in a fight that they shouldn't even be in doesn't fly with me, sorry.
[QUOTE=evilweazel;41985822]Volunteered to serve their country, not intervene in a civil war that isn't our problem, nor should be. Throwing their lives away in a fight that they shouldn't even be in doesn't fly with me, sorry.[/QUOTE]
They knew damn well that there was no direct threat to the U.S. as a nation when they signed up, and as such, they'd be doing 'world police' tasks like this.
[QUOTE=Jsm;41985564]I hate to just link to a Wikipedia article instead of forming an argument but this article sums it up better than I either could.
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_to_protect[/url]
It is [B]everyone's[/b] problem.[/QUOTE]
America doesn't have to be involved with every armed conflict in the Middle East, contrary to your opinion and wikipedia article. Let's send medics and not guns then. How about that?
I doubt there'll be a single American casualty. Obama's whole military doctrine is based on avoiding them through drone strikes and air power
[QUOTE=BANNED USER;41985861]America doesn't have to be involved with every armed conflict in the Middle East, contrary to your opinion and wikipedia article. Let's send medics and not guns then. How about that?[/QUOTE]
Medics don't stop anyone from actually harming anyone, only reduces the chances of those who are already victims dying. Medicine and doctors will only get you so far; not quell or stop instant fatalities.
[QUOTE=evilweazel;41985822]Volunteered to serve their country, not intervene in a civil war that isn't our problem, nor should be. Throwing their lives away in a fight that they shouldn't even be in doesn't fly with me, sorry.[/QUOTE]
They have signed up during a war in Afghanistan, Iraq, conflicts more than half a world a away. I'm damn sure every service member from the infantryman to the pilot are aware that their tour of duty is going to be placed in the Mid-East.
[QUOTE=evilweazel;41985822]Volunteered to serve their country, not intervene in a civil war that isn't our problem, nor should be. Throwing their lives away in a fight that they shouldn't even be in doesn't fly with me, sorry.[/QUOTE]
While I don't condone the strikes currently you need to realise one important thing. The fact that you volunteered to serve your nation means you also volunteered to serve your nation n all it's obligations to various international pacts and treaties you signed up for. That is something you have to expect when you sign up.
You don't get a selective pledge of service, but you get a fairly wide one. ANd if your nation is essentially called up to serve, so would you be.
Now if a response to what is currently known is appropriate is another matter.
[QUOTE=Riller;41985852]They knew damn well that there was no direct threat to the U.S. as a nation when they signed up, and as such, they'd be doing 'world police' tasks like this.[/QUOTE]
Still wouldn't justify spending american lives on a conflict that there isn't any reason for us to be in.
Either way it's mostly irrelevant if I value my soldiers lives over someone in Syria. I very much doubt that we'd use anything that would put people in any high risk situations. Missile strikes against wherever whatever side is storing chemical weapons are fine with me, getting our guys killed in a conflict that we shouldn't even be in is a huge waste of lives.
[QUOTE=Riller;41985895]Medics don't stop anyone from actually harming anyone, only reduces the chances of those who are already victims dying. Medicine and doctors will only get you so far; not quell or stop instant fatalities.[/QUOTE]
America can setup field hospitals and operate out of those. [url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm]Anyone in this list[/url] can fight in our place. It's only fair considering we've been doing this for over a decade now and we're dealing with another debt crisis so this would only make our situation worse. Self preservation over pissing off Iran and Russia to fight in another countries [b]Civil War[/b] seems to be the best option for us at this point, can't be the go-to guy for anything violent all the time.
[QUOTE=Riller;41985852]They knew damn well that there was no direct threat to the U.S. as a nation when they signed up, and as such, they'd be doing 'world police' tasks like this.[/QUOTE]
I have a feeling you've never heard of the 'poverty draft'
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