The top general of America’s military on Thursday backed away from President Obama’s threats to intervene militarily in Syria against the Assad regime, warning that the worst-case scenario would be some kind of failed state in the embattled country.
Chairman of the Joint Chief’s of Staff General Martin Dempsey stressed while on a trip to London that direct military action in Syria, even simply no-fly zones, might be beyond the US and NATO’s capabilities and counter to their interests.
Last week President Obama warned that his “calculation” to refrain from direct military intervention in Syria “could change” if Syria’s chemical or biological weapons begin “moving around or being utilized,” describing the WMD issue as a “red line” that would prompt direct military action, like setting up safe zones, no-fly zones, or worse.
But Dempsey explained it wouldn’t be that easy. He said frequent comparison of the Syrian situation with that in Libya, where a “no-fly zone” was imposed following a United Nations resolution, is at best a source of “amusement.”
General Dempsey warned that possible safe zones for refugees were not being considered for inside Syria, cautioning that imposing them could open the path to a breakout of war.
“If you chose to establish [a safe zone/no-fly zone] you would assume the responsibility for protecting it. If you are tasked to protect it you have to look at those who might seek to attack it or to influence it and that could take you, depending on weapons systems, it could take you to a limited no-fly zone it could take you to the point of having to interdict air and ballistic missile systems,” he said.
As far as forcibly ousting the Assad regime, Dempsey said, such a move would be far too destabilizing. He said a failed state in Syria would be the worst-case scenario and warned against allowing armed extreme jihadists and rebels with ties to al-Qaeda to increase their influence and expand control in a post-Assad Syria.
It seams after all, some people in pentagon getting the message, that Syria is not Libya and nothing is going to help the Syrian people but the Syrian people, those who have said NO to these barbarians from Saudi Arabia, and those whom are for a religious sectarian rule of countries law. There is no other way but for US and EU start talking sense to the "oppositions" making sure that they understand what they have created, a turmoil close to third world war based on the stupidity of what is called Western Civilized diplomacy. Or if you will the Hillary Clinton approach doing some favor for Saudis and UAE.
Yet the profit of all the betting comes to US – Israel – England and France, it is these "Democratic" regimes which are selling all that weapon to Saudis and UAE, giving it to Israel for free making sure that they know that it is Iran which is their enemy, that Syrian government is their enemy, that everyone in the region is their enemy and therefore they need to buy all that junks from US and EU fighting nations thinking that they are different because they are other kind of muslims then they are, that their call for god is great sounds different, therefore they need to send in their barbarians to kill the other kind. Meanwhile, these democrats planing to invade the country freeing the people of which they are free from, a falsified democracy based on lies.
That Dempsey is 1 crazy M-F… Try this:
If you have never seen this one where Sessions takes on the big guns… Panetta & Dempsey…
A MUST SEE.!!! Sessions seems to be way too nice and honest for Congress….. But I'd vote for him..!!
Sessions is an American Imperialist on steroids and anyone who admires him is no friend of antiwar.com
I have never seen Sessions imperialist side Peacegeek… & I'm 5OO Miles North of his State… But I'd rather vote for an honest imperialist [I guess it's a bit of an oxymoron] who advocates adherence to the constitution than some "We'll do what we want" war worm like Panetta…….
Thank you Peacegeek for bringing to my attention the "other [imperialist] side" of the charming and seemingly constitution minded Senator Sessions… I didn't do my homework… Really sad to think there just aren't ANY honest men in the Senate or out of the Senate…. As long as Americans refuse to be honest with themselves about the true nature of our empire of bribes and bombs, there will never be any peace or prosperity in America or the world as our plowshares are beaten into swords to cow the entire world into submission……………. to pay fealty to our fecklessly corrupt and imperialist empire…
I never gave a thumbs up or down,but Sessions seems like a good American in this video.The problem is I don't know anything else about him,but if judged just on what I see here and have seen a least 2 times already I would think he is better than most aside fron RP and DK.I would like to know more about him to see why the smart people that come to Antiwar and not the 4th branch of the government the MSM gave as of know 8 thumbs down.
This is unbelievable. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs warns against it, highly significantly on a trip toLondon and that jihadist fundamentalists are likely to take over which would be the worst possible scenario.
Winston Smith – or whoever you are – why are you spreading Islamophobia on the blog of antiwar.com? Are you a troll from some underground realm of the neocon empire? Do you harbor a hatred of all Muslims? Are you appalled at the results of the Arab Spring? Are you eager for the US to attack Iran? Do you know what you are talking about? Do you think the US collaborated with Jihadist elements in Libya? Do you believe that the US armed Jihadist elements in Syria? Fess up! Your comment sounds so out of place you must think you are on the site of Front Page.
Yup. They are not cooperating with them, they own them. They were always regarded as "our" Jihadists as explained in an article on this site and now they are back. Wabist Sunnijihadists are being usedas paramilitaries for this Covert Op. and this was leaked months ago – hence the hysteria of those grups in Syria they are against..
But it's not me saying it,it is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
I don't get ome comments here I've read on Antiwar that the rebles fighting the Syrian government are with Alqada and are terrorist.I don't think the government in Syria and is a danger and should not be overthroughn by anyone except the Syrians that most don't want Assad gone.And America and others should not support these rebles and inloving themselfs in a civil war.I like Iran and belive they are a sensible good country.I also no the wars in Afganistan Iraq Pakistan and others are illegal and immoral.I don't see raceism in Winstons comment.I'm not the best with grammer,but can read and understand just as good as most am I missing something.I belive Israel is the real danger and according to a dictionary America and friends are the terrorist not the once called freedom fighters in countrys being illegaly attacked.
Only a few million of the Neocons and their ILK……. Hundreds of millions even a billion of their victims….. How long will this continue..???
Who knows? There may be a faction in the military that doesn't want to drive out every last Christian from the Middle East.
Dempsey is showing some true grit. First, Dempsey told the Israelis that the US would not provide military support for their unilateral attack on Iran. Now Dempsey is applying the brakes on a daft plan to create safe zones inside of Syria. Dempsey is moving smartly forward to look like the best Chair of the Joint Chiefs we have ever seen. This will gall the Jeff Sessions of Congress, and well it should. The neocons are aghast at the rise of Dempsey. Bravo for General Martin Dempsey!
At risk of being wrong AFTER having been ignorant, I just don't see Sessions being much upset..
You tell me he is an imperialist…… O.K. …….but is he a supporter of the Neocons and their project to rule the entire world using OUR money and OUR military to bring to heel ALL nations, great and using OUR young as their cannon fodder…?????? Even an imperialist who reads history may have some worry about the hopeless number of our wars….. and the crazy Neocons are even working to sew tension with China….. I imagine the problem there would be China's meager appreciation for how special they are…!!!
I feel a lot more comfortable with Dempsey runung the miltary than super patriot Sessions.
O.K., O.K. It looks as though I made the mistake of judging the book by it's title… I sure wish you guys who don't like sessions would cite some examples, citations or even a URL to substantiate your characterizations……
Jeff Sessions on War & Peace
Click here for 13 full quotes on War & Peace OR background on War & Peace.
* Pleased with the success of the surge. (Oct 2008)
* Withdrawal timetable tells enemy when to prepare an attack. (Oct 2008)
* Voted NO on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months. (Dec 2007)
* Voted YES on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)
* Voted NO on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008. (Mar 2007)
* Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007. (Jun 2006)
* Voted NO on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Nov 2005)
* Voted NO on requiring on-budget funding for Iraq, not emergency funding. (Apr 2005)
* Voted YES on $86 billion for military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Oct 2003)
* Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
* Voted YES on allowing all necessary force in Kosovo. (May 1999)
* Voted NO on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
* Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program. (Apr 2009)
Yaa, Sessions doesn't seem to be MY sort of guy…. He got us suckered into Iraq with the lies and forgeries…..
Thank God for General Martin Dempsey; for, without him, NATO would be bombing Syria as it did to Libya. Look what happened to Libya as a result; it's a failed state. Is that in the best interests of peace in the ME? Is the destabilization of Syria in the region's best interest? Of course not; General Dempsey is a very knowledgeable military man; otherwise, he wouldn't be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Since he stated in no uncertain terms – after serious deliberation – that intervening in Syria's civil war would be catastrophic for the interests of both the region and the West, he should be given the respect he deserves from both the President AND Congress.
You're right on target, Peacegeek; your post is quite rational, far different from the rantings and ravings of the so-called "Neocons" who, btw, are Trotskyites in Conservative clothing. I'm sure the late Bolshevik Leon Trotsky would be extremely proud of this whole drama. After all, he was all for military intervention worldwide, back when Vladimir Lenin ran the old USSR.
It wouldn't surprise me a bit that tomorrow he says the opposite.
Thats usually a given these Neocons change their minds like most change their underwear.Anything to get what they want by lieing to the very people that pay them the citizens.I like DR Paul,but rand is a sellout and supports Mitt that will attack Iran baised on lies like Bush did in Iraq and Afganistan.Also he said if their was a problem he would call Bibbi and ask how he thinks it should be handled and then do what his boss tells him.Obama is a war criminal,but he is the better of 2 evils just like all presidential elections.We in the western world are all fooled into voting for partys that have much more in common then they do differences,expecially on foreign policy.
"Chairman of the Joint Chief’s of Staff General Martin Dempsey stressed while on a trip to London that direct military action in Syria, even simply no-fly zones, might be beyond the US and NATO’s capabilities"
I guess Syria is too big to bully. Moral of the story for Iran; buy as many advanced weapon systems from Russia and China as you can and develop the nuclear bomb as quickly as you can.
Didn't that top Navy cat, name escapes me now, say essentially the same thing about Iran some years ago and then flip flopped later?
The Commander In Chief needs to relieve this general of his duties. However, I agree with Dempsey!