Start getting those tents back up at Incerlik, Op Deny Assad? Unless, of course the Turks are having their own civil war by then. :ugh:

I'm wondering if LCRA might not be a more logical "aircraft carrier" for both our and our US allies air fleets, as they maintain the "Air superiority"espoused by McCain. Turkey seems to have enough problems at the moment. US basing in Israel is also an option. If LCRA was used what do we think the Cypriots might think of incoming missiles, aimed at denying the airfield to our Air Force? It's all a "buggers muddle" to me. Of course, our leaders will have this all thought out by now !!!

Smudge

LW50, regail us of what you're suggesting he left out.

It's "regale" DM not "regail".

It means to entertain lavishly with food and drink. If only everyone could do that with all their so-called enemies!

Rgds SOS

If we arm the FSA there will be somebody regaling......recent past experiance has shown some 'freedom fighters' will head from bank to bank, museum to museum etc.

I agree with many of the posters, that we should not be involved in this adventure which will only arm our future enemies.
Our only hope is if the Russians step in and say stop, or else.

Little support from US citizens-poll
 

SOS, thanks for clarifying, my response has 3 fs in it.

see the Americans are leaving their F-16's and Patriots in Jordan "just in case"

Rebel/Sunni with MANPAD



After the fall of Ghaddafi arms flooded out of Libya and were used by rebels as diversely located as Mali and Sinai.
In Syria the Rebels have captured these MANPADs when they have overrun government bases. What is to prevent these weapons being smuggled out of Syria into the West to be used at a civil airport near you?
And if we provide the extra MANPADs and ATGMs the Rebels are asking for doesn't that just increase the probability of weapons being smuggled out? An ATGM could make a mess of a high value city centre building.

I never thought I'd find myself agreeing with a Russian leader instead of our own, and I am increasingly depressed with the actions of the leadership of our traditional friends. It appears that we could well walking into a total disaster. Ronnie Reagan's oft quoted remark is particularly apt " Don't just do something, stand there!"

Lets face it, if it wasn't for western and eastern greed and the fact we armed them all in the first place they would still be riding around on camels waving swords, and they'd all be armed equally.

To arm any side is sheer lunacy, as for Chemical Weapons, didn't seem to bother the west when Saddam was killing the Kurds with them, but then he was delivering the oil.

We will never learn, we can put our noses in other people's wars and arm them whist at the same time stripping our military of their assets.

In a strange way i wish the Cold War would come back, because there were checks and balances, the Americans would not have dared invade any countries in the Middle East as they knew that it could trigger a Third World War, worked both ways...sadly that check has gone.

So did Russia deliver those S-300/SA-10 to Syria or not?

Jerusalem Post: IDF not commenting on report Israel attacked Syrian airport

The IDF was not commenting on a report on a Syrian TV station associated with the rebel forces that Israel attacked on Sunday night the military airbase Al-Miza, West of Damascus, Israel Radio reported. The report noted that a rebel organization had taken responsibility for the attack after the explosion to took place on Sunday night.

The TV station reported that Israel bombed advanced weapons and radar systems that were recently brought to the airport, according to Israel Radio.

Eye witnesses said that the explosions were large and that neither the Assad regime nor the rebels had the capability to create explosions of such a magnitude.

I wonder how much of this talk is being driven by the House of Saud and the Qataris? No doubt they are increasingly worried about being humiliated by Assad - he clearly has the upper hand, courtesy of Hezbollah.

If the reports this morning are accurate then 4,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards are on their way to Syria to help support Assad. Its a weird world when I look on such people as being the ''good guys''. But compared to the other side they may almost be a bunch of caring liberals!

The earlier post about the Cold War was a good one. Maybe soon China will offer a balance to the US. With Russia and India thrown into the equation things get even more complicated.

Syria is a multiple proxy war.
Between Sunni (Saudi & Qatar) and Shia (Iran)
Between America/UK/France and Russia.
Between Israel and Hezbollah/ Iran.
Between Jihadists/Salafists and moderate Islam.
Between Qatar and Russia for European gas supplies.
+probably more!
Plus the two big regional powers (Turkey and Israel) are flexing their muscles to show how important they are. And to choose the future shape of a neighbour country.
Plus the Kurds are trying to build a greater Kurdistan nation.

Then there is the co-operation between the security services of Russia, NATO and Israel to try and control extremist Islamic terrorists, chemical weapons and MANPADs.

Rebels-One, tank crew- Zero.

These things really burn.:uhoh:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=86b_1359125284

There are already 8,000 Saudis fighting in Syria on the side of the rebels.
70 went back to Saudi recently in body bags. Including 4 women!

Bodies of 70 Saudi fighters return from Syria: Report - Tehran Times